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HomeNewsCouncil approves engineering consulting contract for PFAS remediation

Council approves engineering consulting contract for PFAS remediation

Planning work towards remediation of per- and polyfluoroalkylated substances (PFAS) at Jack Garland Airport will be getting underway soon. 

Council has awarded a contract for engineering consulting services.  

“This begins the process,” says councillor Chris Mayne, chair of the city’s Infrastructure and Operations Committee. “It’s a $5 million contract, roughly that will end some of our study and start to work towards providing a remediation plan for the city (and) our property in that area specifically.” 

He says the Department of National Defence (DND) is paying for most of the associated costs. 

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“Our obligation, our share of the cost is only three percent.  Of this roughly $5 million our actual cost will be $150,000,” he says. “Over the next six years we’re estimating about $20 million worth of work that still needs to be done.” 

Under the agreement, DND will provide up to $19.4 million over six years towards airport PFAS clean-up. 

Mayne also provided some positive news to council on the issue. 

“I’m pleased to report that while it’s early, the trendline is down.  In 2019 we were at about 60 parts per billion and this year our early studies have shown 50 parts per billion of PFAS in that watercourse,” he says. 

The scope of the engineering work will include environmental assessment, site-specific risk assessment, development of remediation objectives, treatability studies and remediation design. 

The work is scheduled to begin within the next month.

Mayne says remediation is expected to begin mid-2023.  

“PFAS are manmade substances found in many consumer and industrial products, including firefighting foam,” states a release from the city.  “Past use of the airport lands for firefighter training between the early 1970s and mid-1990s has been identified as the main source of PFAS on the airport property.” 

The city says the level of PFAS detected in the City’s municipal water supply remains significantly lower than drinking water screening values set out by Health Canada and the interim guidance level provided by the Ministry of the Environment, Conservation and Parks (MECP). 

A long-standing drinking water advisory for Lees Creek remains in place as well as a fish consumption advisory for fish from the creek issued by the MECP.

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