HomeMy WebLinkAboutDTS-06-088 - Environmental Remediation Strategy1
Kd LR
Development&
Technical Services
Report To:
Date of Meeting:
Submitted By:
Prepared By:
Ward(s) Involved:
Date of Report:
Report No.:
Subject:
RECOMMENDATION:
6 REPORT
Financial and Corporate Services Committee
June 26, 2006
James A. Witmer, Director of Building and Environmental
Remediation
James A. Witmer, Director of Building and Environmental
Remediation
Ext. #2846
"All"
April 25, 2006
DTS — 06 - 088
ENVIRONMENTAL REMEDIATION STRATEGY
"That Council endorse the proposed components of the environmental remediation strategy and
direct staff to prepare an implementation plan which supports these initiatives for Council's
consideration."
BACKGROUND:
The City of Kitchener, like many municipalities with an industrial heritage as its roots is likely to
experience environmental issues associated with that legacy. As a result, a strategy to respond
to these issues has been developed.
The framework for the "environmental remediation strategy" focuses on city owned lands and
city activities or operations, current and past that have generated environmental issues. It does
not duplicate the efforts of the Brownfield Re- development Program, Fagade Improvement Loan
Incentive Program, and newly created Upper- Storey Renovation Program but supports them as
part of the City of Kitchener's commitment to revitalizing and restoring our community.
The strategy also supports the efforts and objectives of the Healthy Community Plan Working
Group which has recommended the development of "a long -term strategy for healthy community
policy and programs across environmental, economic and social services areas within the City's
mandate or sphere of influence."
One of the objectives of the City of Kitchener's Healthy Communities Plan is the development of
an environmental remediation strategy. The Environmental Remediation Strategy's purpose is:
"To ensure that the City of Kitchener is a leader in environmental remediation by being
proactive, informed, responsive, consistent, fiscally responsible, regulatory compliant
and in a legally defensible position when involved in environmental matters."
REPORT:
In developing this strategy we identified how the City can initially become involved in
environmental matters.
The City's involvement can begin when contamination or environmental issues are suspected or
discovered in the following areas:
• Former landfill sites on municipal or private property
• Municipally acquired lands
• Roads, capital projects or service repairs
• Works yards
• Municipal buildings
• Municipal lands
• Playgrounds /parks /recreational areas
• Complaints from private landowners or other tier governments
• New construction and demolitions
• Migration of contamination onto municipal property from adjacent private property
• Requirements of Ontario Regulation 153/04
The following questions were considered:
• What are our risks and obligations when dealing with environmental matters?
• What staff are involved in environmental issues?
• What are our policy, procedures and processes?
• How should the issue be managed?
• How do we address the financial and reporting components?
• Who else is involved?
• Are there sources of funding available from other levels of government to assist in
addressing the issue?
• What training is available?
Risks and obligations vary for the City based on the nature of the contamination. Our duty to
protect the public, our workers and the environment creates constant awareness and
subsequent compliance with the applicable laws that govern environmental issues within the
province.
To date our review has concluded that staff from Operations, Engineering, Planning, Building,
Records, Fire, IT and Legal are engaged in some aspect in response to files or properties where
there may be issues associated with an environmental concern. To address the records
management component, a central repository for audits and Records of Site Condition is
recommended.
In 2005 a cross - departmental team from Communications, Community Services, Economic
Development, Engineering, Finance, Legal and Planning was formed to identify:
14
a) projects /issues of an environmental nature,
b) evaluation of funding options and sources,
c) project priorities,
d) experience of other municipalities, and
e) a proposed plan for Council's consideration.
The following objectives have been defined for the environmental remediation strategy.
1. Ensure prompt action to address potential threats to human health, public safety and the
environment.
2. Conduct appropriate, cost - effective efforts to identify, evaluate and, where necessary,
protect public safety or human health and the environment.
3. Conduct response actions to address contamination resulting from past City of Kitchener
activities.
4. Comply with statutes, regulations, orders and other external requirements governing
remediation.
5. Ensure that City of Kitchener regulations, policies and guidance are developed within the
framework of this strategy.
6. Plan, program, budget and execute remediation in accordance with Ministry of the
Environment and City of Kitchener directives and guidance using validated, auditable,
site -level data.
7. Develop remediation partnerships with appropriate federal, provincial and regional
authorities.
8. Develop avenues of learning and research in conjunction with local colleges and
universities.
9. Promote and support public stakeholder participation in the remediation process and
make site -level remediation information available to the public.
10. Support the development and use of cost - effective remediation approaches and
technologies to improve program efficiency.
11. Foster and develop in house expertise, utilizing our work force and equipment where
possible and practical.
12. Perform semi - annual program management reviews of remediation progress against
established targets, and conduct periodic reviews of sites where contamination remains
in place.
We have already developed issue management protocols and an Environmental Response
Management Team to respond to environmental events, which included the assignment of a
corporate spokesperson to speak to those issues.
The following activities have been identified as initial priorities to be funded through the
Brownfield Remediation capital account.
• Target and recommend proceeding with tax sale process for those properties which
meet the municipal criteria.
• Develop and implement Operational Procedures to address environmental matters:
• Planning and Design
• Property acquisitions /sales
• Construction
• Maintenance and Operations
• Information Management
3
o Information disclosure
• Investigate the development of a municipal soil handling facility to address the handling
and temporary disposal of contaminated soils.
• Undertake Phase I environmental assessments of potential surplus City lands
• Consider establishing a Community Based Committee to deal with contaminated sites.
• Investigate and inspect playgrounds, parks, recreational areas located on or adjacent to
former fill sites.
• Ensure budget allocations for environmental review of capital works projects is included
at least one year in advance of the project.
• Confirm City's position to pursue its right to claim costs against adjacent property owners
for the clean up associated with contamination of municipal property.
FINANCIAL IMPLICATIONS:
Allocation of funding for the initial priorities as identified above and future obligations has been
identified in the 10 year Capital Budget forecast. However additional funds for 2007 and 2008
may be required to satisfy regulatory requirements stemming from this review. The costs for
these projects and priorities will be identified and included in future budget deliberations.
CONCLUSION:
An implementation plan should include a review of the activities within the corporation that
support this environmental strategy. An evaluation of an appropriate reporting structure and
source of funding to support these initiatives is also required. The following activities could
support this strategy: Brownfield Remediation Program, Environmental Planning, Environmental
Engineering, Urban Forestry and Remediation Projects.
Respectfully submitted,
James A. Witmer,
Director of Building and Environmental Remediation