Project Description

The remediation program comprised the excavation of soil from areas of the site that were previously identified through Phase I and II Environmental Site Assessments (ESA) as having elevated concentrations of specific chemical parameters exceeding the provincial full depth site condition.

Based on the previous Phase I ESA the subject site is known to have been historically used for industrial and commercial activities including a basket factory, engine service company, printing company, gasoline station, and pesticides manufacturer.  More recently, the site has been used for commercial businesses including retail stores and professional offices.

As a result of the past land use, the previous Phase II ESAs and supplementary reports confirmed that the site had been impacted by various contaminants with concentrations exceeding the applicable O.Reg. 154/04 Site Condition Standards.

The identified contaminants of concern that were confirmed to be present included localized hydrocarbons associated with abandoned underground storage tanks (USTs) and distribution piping; heavy metals associated with shallow buried deleterious ash-like fills; localized poly aromatic hydrocarbons and sporadic exceedances of electrical conductivity (EC) and sodium adsorption ratio (SAR) also associated with deleterious fills and the likely recent application of deicing salts to the former gravel parking lot through the central part of the site.

Excavation of nine remediation zones was completed using a track mounted Komatsu 270 excavator to load semi-trailer trucks with a haulage capacity of approximately 20 m3 (approximately 40 tonnes).

Verification samples were collected from the base and sidewalls of the excavation.  As necessary, where verification sample laboratory results indicated that residual contaminants remained, secondary excavation work was conducted followed by secondary verification sampling and laboratory analytical testing. A final Record of Site Condition (RSC) was submitted for approval by the regulatory bodies.