Phase II ESA - 25 Daniel Street North

The Town of Arnprior will complete a Phase II Environmental Site Assessment (ESA) on a lot located at 25 Daniel Street North, a brownfield site that serves as a gateway between residential neighborhoods and Arnprior’s historic downtown. The property operated previously as a service station and garage and has sat vacant and derelict for many years despite being placed up for tax sale multiple times. The Town aims to clean up the site for reuse to revitalize and strengthen its central business area, encourage infill development, avoid urban sprawl, and demonstrate how other contaminated properties within the community can be rehabilitated towards successful repurposing and redevelopment. The intended outcome of this project is to gain an understanding of the current on-site environmental conditions and the associated costs to remediate soil and groundwater to provincial standards for the purpose of attaining a Record of Site Condition (RSC). With better information, the Town wishes to support the purchase, remediation and redevelopment of the land. Although the former service station has been removed, a high potential for hydrocarbon and metal contamination is expected from the subsurface infrastructure that remains which includes four gas and diesel storage tanks, a waste oil storage tank, and piping. Additionally, a second service station with known soil and groundwater contamination is present off-site, but within the Phase I ESA study area, further contributing to the potential for hydrocarbon and metals contamination in soil and groundwater on-site. This initiative is supported by the Town of Arnprior Community Improvement Plan (CIP), Official Plan (OP), Brownfield Action Plan, and Brownfield Tax Incentive Program. Opportunities have been presented to discuss the project with Town Council and allow for public consultation. By ensuring collaboration between the Public Works, Community Services, and Client Services Departments, the project will employ a systemic approach to addressing environmental, social, and economic concerns and objectives. The Town of Arnprior was previously approved for a similar brownfield site assessment and remedial action plan project in the form of GMF 15116 (2016). These projects are firsts for the Town and surrounding Renfrew County in terms of brownfield redevelopment and filing for RSC Certificates. These two initiatives will broaden the Town’s experience in not only undertaking Phase II ESAs, but also the experience in securing much needed funding through GMF and other grant programs. Town Council has also endorsed a specific Brownfield encouragement plan that includes this initiative. (Project description from original funding application)