Garden City Lands: Risk management, remediation, and land use planning to support redevelopment for agriculture and other uses in Richmond

The City of Richmond, a member of the FCM’s Leadership in Brownfield Renewal (LiBRe) network, is undertaking a study to evaluate and manage environmental risks for the redevelopment and protection of a 55.2-hectare parcel of land called Garden City Lands. The primary goals of this study are to conduct key environmental site investigations and assessments, and to produce planning documents necessary to manage any contamination and fulfill contaminated site regulatory requirements. The Garden City Lands lie within British Columbia’s agricultural land reserve and are owned by the City of Richmond. Previous land uses have contributed to significant contamination of the site from various heavy metals and petroleum aromatic hydrocarbons. The Garden City Lands also encompass sensitive land uses. For example, the site is situated on a remnant bog with a high water table, and the bog has sequestered carbon embodied in its peat parent material. This study will inform and guide the city’s vision to redevelop the lands as a major new community park with diverse uses that support sustainable urban agriculture and recreational and cultural activities. This study will implement a site soil and groundwater quality characterization followed by remediation and risk-management strategies to protect and preserve sensitive land and prepare the site for redevelopment in a manner that is safe for humans and that supports various social, economic and cultural benefits. The study aims to assess the feasibility of managing contamination risks on site rather than excavating, transporting and disposing of the material in a landfill. This is estimated to result in a 50–75% reduction in contaminated material disposed into landfills and a 25–50% reduction of greenhouse gas emissions compared with traditional “dig and dump” remediation approaches. The study will also assess the viability of expanding the area of the site that can be used for agricultural purposes, and the potential of using the agricultural sites as a sustainable urban organic garden to enhance learning opportunities for students enrolled in Kwantlen Polytechnic University’s Sustainable Agricultural Farm Program. The study will also assess any risks and address potential public concerns around creating an organic farm on an identified contaminated site. The risk-management component of the study will analyze innovative approaches to managing stormwater runoff, and strategies to preserve the natural characteristics of the existing bog to maintain and protect its ability to act as an effective carbon sink. The feasibility study is linked to several existing municipal policies, plans and programs. These include the City of Richmond’s Official Community Plan, Integrated Rainwater Resource Management Strategy, and Agricultural Viability Strategy. Innovative aspect(s): · The study aims to design and implement innovative remediation practices for ecologically sensitive areas · The practice of remediating heavy metals and petroleum hydrocarbons on site and getting them to a state in which organic farming could occur is innovative Replicability: · The city intends to share lessons learned with other members of FCM’s LIBRe network · The city also plans to share lessons learned with various groups, including the B.C. Institute of Agrology, the City of Richmond’s Food Security and Agricultural Advisory Committee, Richmond Advisory Committee on the Environment, and the B.C. Society of Contaminated Sites Approved Professionals · The collaboration between the City of Richmond and Kwantlen Polytechnic University means the replication potential of the organic agriculture segment of this study is high (Project description from original funding application)