Response to Recommendations
Contaminated Sediment
Canada and Ontario are strongly committed to contaminated sediment remediation and management. The Canada-Ontario Agreement Respecting the Great Lakes Basin Ecosystem (COA), signed in 1994, commits Canada and Ontario to:
- describe effects, demonstrate and implement the clean up of severely contaminated sediments, with emphasis on contamination at priority sites in RAP Areas of Concern, and
- develop long term strategies for remediation of areas of intermediate contamination at ten locations in the Great Lakes Basin ecosystem by the year 2000.
Progress against these targets is outlined in the "Third Report of Progress Under the Canada-Ontario Agreement Respecting the Great Lakes Basin Ecosystem 1997-1999". Environment Canada, in co-operation with other agencies, has completed its demonstration phase of sediment remediation technologies that are now being promoted and used for full-scale implementation.
1. Governments provide detailed work plans, schedules and benchmarks to complete sediment remediation projects in the eight Areas of Concern for which remediation decisions have been made but action is pending.
Of the eight Areas of Concern (AOCs) identified by the IJC for which remediation decisions have been made but action is pending, two are in Canadian waters - Thunder Bay and Hamilton Harbour.
Canada is pleased to report that substantial progress has been achieved and actions are underway in both AOCs.
Thunder Bay
In 1997, a five-party Agreement was signed providing funding for a remediation project in Thunder Bay Harbour around the Northern Wood Preservers site. Abitibi-Consolidated Inc. (Abitibi), Canadian National Railway Company (CNR), Northern Wood Preservers Inc. (NWP), Environment Canada and the Ontario Ministry of Environment (MOE) committed $9.3 Million (Cdn.) in funding for the cleanup and recognized Abitibi as lead for project management. Construction of a rockfill berm enclosing the project area and removal (dredging) of the most highly contaminated sediment have been completed and treatment of the contaminated sediment on-site is currently underway. Construction of a clay isolation barrier and wastewater collection system surrounding NWP operations is scheduled to be completed by the summer of 2000. Habitat enhancements at the site commenced in the fall of 1998 and are continuing. Procedures are in place to oversee and monitor progress against planned project targets and schedules, including the implementation of environmental monitoring activities.
Hamilton Harbour
The Randle Reef sediment remediation project in Hamilton Harbour is in the final planning stages. The project involves three components: 1) the removal of approximately 20,000 m3 of sediments contaminated with high concentrations of polynuclear aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs exceed 800 ppm); 2) dewatering and conditioning (bio-remediation) of sediments on Hamilton Harbour Commission property; and 3) re-use of the conditioned sediments by Stelco. Total project cost is estimated to be about $7.3 million (Cdn) which includes significant in-kind contributions from Stelco, Hamilton Harbour Commission and the Regional Municipality of Hamilton-Wentworth. Full funding for the project has been secured and an Environmental Assessment Screening Report is being updated. Negotiations are continuing with Stelco and MOE for the development of a multi-stakeholder agreement that would include respective contributions and responsibilities of the stakeholders. It is expected that project implementation will commence in the Spring 2000.
2. Governments make sediment remediation and management decisions for the 31 Areas of concern that remain under assessment,
and provide detailed work plans, schedules and benchmarks to initiate and complete sediment remediation.
For the remaining Canadian AOCs which the IJC categorizes as still being under assessment and for which the IJC recommends that sediment remediation and management decisions be made by governments, substantial progress has also been achieved.
Long term strategies have been developed and source controls have been implemented for: Nipigon Bay, Spanish Harbour, Severn Sound, Collingwood Harbour, Wheatley Harbour and Bay of Quinte. In addition full-scale cleanups have been completed at Collingwood Harbour, Severn Sound (Penetanguishene), and Niagara
River - Canadian side (Welland River - Atlas Steel site). Through the RAP process it has also been agreed that no further action will be required to restore sediment quality in these AOCs. Monitoring will continue to track recovery and the full achievement of RAP restoration targets.
The current status of sediment remediation and management for the remaining Canadian AOCs is as follows:
Peninsula Harbour, St. Marys River, and St. Lawrence River (Canadian side) - further study and investigation of options is being carried out;
Jackfish Bay - source control has been adopted as the preferred remedial strategy;
St Clair River - physical, chemical and biological assessments have been completed and a risk assessment analysis is currently underway to confirm remedial strategies;
Detroit River - within the context of a new implementation framework, a reassessment of contaminated sediment is currently underway on the Canadian side of the Detroit River, with a view towards a joint binational modeling effort with the United States;
Toronto and Region - the results of a comprehensive sediment survey indicate general improvement in sediment quality and no further active intervention is planned;
Port Hope - the Port Hope RAP for the harbour is tied to the larger project on the siting of a hazardous waste facility for low level radioactive wastes. Once the siting decision is made, options for the disposal of contaminated sediments will be addressed.
The MOE and Environment Canada have also been developing a state-of-the-art, science-based framework for making decisions regarding the severity of sediment contamination, and on the need for active intervention. Expert review and support for a Canada/Ontario approach was received in July 1998 at a workshop organized by the Ministry, and verified at a joint IJC/Parties' sponsored workshop in December 1998. In support of the IJC's Sediment Priority Action Committee, in September 1999 we will jointly publish data-interpretation techniques to facilitate decision making with our U.S. colleagues. These new data interpretation techniques and the decision-making framework will enable us to reach decisions at site specific locations where previously it has been difficult to agree on the environmental consequences of contaminants in sediment.
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