Redeveloping a contaminated site in St Clements

The rural municipality of St Clements wishes to decontaminate a polluted site in the city to create a new development. The 123-acre site is in a very attractive location (the northeast corner of Harold Avenue and Railway Street), close to municipal services, schools and major roadways. The main contaminants on the site are lead and zinc. A 2009 study estimated the total volume of soil to be remediated at 10,850m3. In order to collect additional information on the former waste disposal and burn pits on the site, the municipality will conduct a new study and complete a Phase II Environmental Site Assessment. This study will help to identify the precise nature and extent of the contamination. The results will be used to develop recommendations for site development with a risk management plan and remediation options.

The study also aims to promote solutions that would decrease the environmental and health impacts of the remediation itself. The municipality has already identified several performance indicators around that goal. These include reducing the amount of waste diverted to landfill and the amount of vehicle fuel used. In addition, the consulting company has identified capping the soil as one option for managing risk at the site.

Innovative aspect(s):

The consultant will use electromagnetic surveying for the Phase II Environmental Site Assessment. This involves using a high-resolution metal detector designed to accurately locate buried ferrous and non-ferrous metallic objects.

Replicability:

Other brownfield sites could undergo similar remediation techniques and be developed for a variety of urban, semi-urban and suburban land uses or developments. This initiative will demonstrate best practices for other municipal sites in the province with a variety of current or historical land uses, such as former landfill sites.