Oshawa Harbour Risk Assessment, City of Oshawa

When the City of Oshawa required a Record of Site Condition when acquiring land from the Federal Government, they retained XCG. In the period between 2014 and 2017, XCG was retained by the City of Oshawa to obtain a Record of Site Condition (RSC) for the former Marina Lands and West Wharf Lands located at the southeast corner of Harbour Road and Simcoe Street South (subject site). This former industrial/commercial site was intended to be converted to parkland and therefore triggered the requirement for a RSC. The project began with the review of soil, sediment, and groundwater sampling reports prepared by others over the last two decades. These historic reports identified the presence of wide-spread metal and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon (PAH) impacts in soil and groundwater, as well as localized areas of petroleum hydrocarbon compound (PHC)- and volatile organic compound (VOC)-related impacts from historic on-site activities. Given the project objective, a Phase One Environmental Site Assessment (ESA), and additional Phase Two ESA investigations were completed to satisfy the requirements of Ontario Regulation (O. Reg.) 153/04. The Phase One ESA included a summary of the previous investigations and an overall determination of potential contaminating activities within the study area and related on-site areas of potential environmental concern (APECs). Data from the historic reports was reviewed in detail and validated as appropriate as it relates to the requirements of O. Reg. 153/04.

A pre-consultation meeting was held with the Ontario Ministry of Environment, Conservation and Parks [MECP, previously the Ministry of the Environment and Climate Change (MOECC)] and City of Oshawa to review the supplemental Phase Two ESA investigation requirements and proposed risk assessment (RA) submission requirements and timing.

Based on the information and data generated during the Phase One and Phase Two ESAs, XCG undertook the work on a RA. The RA was originally submitted to the MECP for review in July 2015. Throughout the RA review period, XCG maintained an open dialogue with the MECP to ensure that the Phase Two Conceptual Site Model (CSM) satisfied the requirements of O. Reg. 153/04 and the expectations of the MECP Brownfield Filing and Review Group. MECP comments received on the RA were addressed and the RA was accepted by the MECP in July 2016.

XCG developed a Risk Management Plan (RMP) that required capping of areas of the site that did not have sufficient clean soil cover and the installation of a vapour barrier with passive venting for any future commercial/residential building(s) to be constructed on-site. A Certificate of Property Use (CPU), specifying these risk management measures (RMMs) and others, was prepared by the MECP District Office. The RSC was filed by XCG and acknowledged by the MECP.

XCG was also retained to complete construction monitoring and project administration on behalf of the City of Oshawa during the implementation of the capping and soil erosion RMMs.

During the recent design and construction of additional park improvements to what is now named Ed Broadbent Park, XCG was consulted to ensure design concepts were consistent with the receptors and exposures evaluated within the RA and protected through the RMM. XCG was most recently contracted to provide Qualified Person services during the construction of the park improvements in 2022.