The Glebe Community Association has outlined the concerns about contamination at Lansdowne Park and the City of Ottawa plans for remediation to the Province of Ontario Ministry of the Environment in the following letter.
March 10, 2011
Steve Burns, District Manager
Ministry of the Environment
Ottawa District Office
2430 Don Reid Drive
Ottawa, ON, K1H 1E1
Dear Mr. Burns
Re: Redevelopment of Lansdowne Park
I am writing to you in response to a February 16, 2011 letter from Gayla Campney, Regional Director Eastern Region, who advised contacting you regarding continued community concerns about the Lansdowne Park redevelopment. This letter further reiterates the concerns expressed in our letters to the Minister of Environment dated December 31, 2010 and January 31, 2011 and requests actions to address them.
We are particularly concerned that the City of Ottawa has sought an extension from the Ministry of the Environment (MOE) to conduct remediation based on the 2004 standards rather than the more recent 2009 standards and that this has been granted. It would seem obvious that the 2009 standards are based on better and more recent science, and would thus be more protective of human health and the environment. This is particularly true in light of the prominence of the site, the situation within a densely populated area near to dwellings, restaurants, schools, long term care facilities, and the site’s proximity to the World Heritage Rideau canal.
Because Lansdowne Park is located in such a densely populated urban area, it is crucial for all parties to exercise due diligence. Therefore we request further action from the MOE in a number of areas:
1. That the entire site is classed as residential/parkland/institutional, and the 2009 standards for remediation are adopted and applied to the entire site.
2. That a full public consultation process is undertaken before the City’s remediation plan is implemented and that the Glebe Community Association is involved in the process as a stakeholder.
3. That a plan to meet the OMB requirement (PPS 3.2.2) for a site remediation is completed before any development. If site remediation is considered to be a part of the development, then we ask that we are made fully aware of the specific plans before enactment.
4. That deeper sampling and a contemporaneous set of boreholes are used. The data in the Phase II report is derived from boreholes that were made over many years at different depths.
5. Whether or not the City is going to be allowed to dispose of contaminated waste on the site, e.g. through the construction of a berm, is clarified. If so, does the MOE require a Certificate of Approval for a Waste Disposal Site for such a berm and what is required to seal toxic materials in such a berm?
6. Further, that documentation on the precedence for and use of the berm method in a high density urban setting in a public area is provided. Though we are aware of its use in a carefully controlled waste disposal site, we are curious to know, for example, the methods proposed for the control of aerosol born contaminations, etc. from the necessary vent pipes.
7. Further, we would like to note that since our letters to Minister Wilkinson dated December 31st 2010 and January 31st, 2011, it has come to our attention that there may be contamination arising from the use of Lansdowne as a military site. As well, we understand that sites such as Lansdowne can become contaminated by biohazards. We respectfully recommend that both these issues be addressed in the assessment phase before the remediation plan is finalized.
We respectfully submit these requests as representatives of one community that lives in the neighbourhood and is therefore most exposed to any risks that may arise.
Sincerely
Original signed by Virginia Carver,
Chair Glebe Community Association Environment Committee
On behalf of Caroline Vanneste,
Chair Glebe Community Association
cc:
Gayla Campney, Regional Director, Eastern Region, Ministry of the Environment, CP Box 22032, 1259 Gardiners Road, Kingston, ON. K7M 8S5
Mayor Jim Watson, City of Ottawa
David Chernushenko, Councillor, Capital Ward
Yasir Naqvi, MPP
Paul Dewar, MP
Marie Lemay,
Chief Executive Officer, National Capital Commission
202-40 Elgin Street
Ottawa, ON., K1P 1C7
Alan Latourelle,