Fountain Street Parking Lot Off-site Environmental Investigation, Guelph, ON

The City of Guelph will conduct an off-site environmental investigation to gain a comprehensive understanding of the environmental issues associated with the Fountain Street parking lot, to allow for its eventual remediation and redevelopment. Currently a municipal parking lot and temporary bus terminal, the Fountain Street lot was the site of a coal-gasification plant from 1871 to 1957. Phase I and II Environmental Site Assessments (ESAs) of the site showed soil and groundwater contamination related to coal tar. The contamination appears to extend past the property into Surrey Street and beyond and onto land owned by Union Gas Limited (UGL). The off-site environmental investigation will test soil and groundwater from these areas. The city will collect soil samples and monitor the groundwater for contaminants such as petroleum hydrocarbons (PHCs), volatile organic compounds (VOCs), metals and inorganics. The study will include a soil vapour analysis of residential properties located to the south, to identify possible migration pathways for coal tar residuals. The city will inspect the Speed River bank for evidence of seeps, and will collect samples from the river and from storm sewer outfalls located along the river. The study results will help the city prepare a remedial action plan and cost estimates for site cleanup. The inclusion of privately owned land (the UGL property) is an innovative aspect that goes beyond the responsibilities normally assumed by a municipality when dealing with municipal brownfields. Remediating the soil and groundwater will improve environmental and public health and will prepare the site for redevelopment, which will include an urban square for outdoor recreation and civic activities, a new building as well as a new parking structure. Brownfield remediation and redevelopment is one objective of the city’s Downtown Secondary Plan, which aims to turn Guelph’s downtown into a high-density urban centre with a strong local economy and infrastructure. The city will share the results of this investigation with brownfield developers, consultants and other municipalities. The information and lessons learned will help build capacity for managing similar brownfield sites in the city, and will be of particular interest to other municipalities with former coal gasification sites. (Project description from original funding application)