On January 11, 2012 the Commissioner of Development Services at the City of Oshawa sent the Development Services Committee a public report title "Industrial Disposal Oshawa Limited (IDOL) Rossland Road East and Grandview Street North Area". This was raised at the Committee's meeting on January 16.
The report provides an update on the site, and can be found at http://www.oshawa.ca/agendas/Development_Services/2012/01-16/DS-12-09-IDOL-Update.pdf.
The report includes the most recent (November 2011) monitoring data from sampling by the Ministry of Environment. Based on the sampling and analysis, MOE staff concluded:
- The results for surface water quality in the creek (SW1-SW4) are consistent with previous samplings and do not indicate an impact to the creek.
- The seep sampling results appear to indicate a minor landfill influence - elevated concentrations of chloride and iron were detected in the samples.
- These parameters are non-health related and are typically used as indicators of possible landfill leachate impacts.
The report also mentions that the Ministry of Environment has advised the City that it is engaged in discussions with the Central Lake Ontario Conservation Authority (CLOCA) regarding possible remedial measures that the site owner could take to reduce the size and visual impacts of certain areas of seepage and iron staining.
At the January 16 meeting, the Development Services Committee recommend to City Council:
1. That Report DS-12-09 dated January 11, 2012 titled ‘Industrial Disposal Oshawa Limited (IDOL), Rossland Road East and Grandview Street North Area’ be received for information; and,
2.That staff follow up with the Ministry of the Environment in respect to a response to Council’s June 13, 2011 direction/request.
(this request requested that the Ministry of the Environment advise the City in writing of its comments on the Golder report, the individual Golder recommendations for additional work and monitoring and whether the· MOE will amend the existing certificate of approval for the IDOL site to implement the recommendations or to otherwise require the owner of the IDOL site to implement the recommendations or monitor and maintain the site.)
June 9, 2011
Article in Oshawa This Week - June 9
Oshawa landfill poses no health risk: consultant
New report recommends beefed up monitoring for north Oshawa site
By Jillian Follert
Oshawa This Week
June 9, 2011
OSHAWA -- A new report says a controversial landfill in north Oshawa does not pose a public health threat.
The site has been a source of worry for neighbouring residents and local environmentalists after it started leaking a smelly, rust-coloured liquid in 2008.
Last year council hired a consulting firm to investigate the decommissioned landfill -- located near Harmony Road North and Grandview Street -- and offer an opinion on whether it poses a risk.
"We associate unpleasant visual and smells with something that is likely to be harmful," said Tom Mclelwain, who spoke to council members on behalf of Golder Associates. "But in reality there is no demonstrated adverse effect."
The reddish liquid that periodically stains the ground and creates a film on top of puddles and creek water is iron staining, he said.
Council's development services committee was brought up to speed on the status of the landfill at a special meeting Tuesday morning.
The landfill, bounded by Harmony Valley Park on one side and a large residential subdivision on the other, was formerly owned by Industrial Disposal Oshawa Limited and operated from 1957 to 1980, when it was sealed.
When it was up and running, the 35-acre site accepted solid commercial and industrial waste, primarily from General Motors.
Mr. Mclelwain told council members there is "no documented record" of what went into the landfill over the years, but evidence suggests much of it was paper and other "normal" municipal type waste.
However, he also said potentially dangerous materials -- such as paints and solvents -- may have been dumped in 45-gallon drums.
Depending on when they were disposed of, the consultant said those drums may already have rusted and leaked their contents, or could potentially do so down the road.
"I'm really concerned, people are walking in that area, they're walking their dogs and their dogs are maybe drinking out of the creek," said Councillor Doug Sanders. "We don't know what's in there. It could be a cesspool and we don't know."
Ministry of the Environment officials have tested ground and surface water samples and have done visual inspections of the site and reported no troubling results.
Golder Associates also did its own testing and came up with the same findings.
"It's perfectly consistent with the type of leachate quality that you see at other landfill sites," Mr. Mclelwain said.
Councillor John Aker, who chairs the development services committee, said he is satisfied there is no threat.
"We have to depend on these expert organizations and what they have said," he noted. "It's in the hands of the Ministry of the Environment if they want to do anything more."
After the landfill was closed in the 1980s, the MOE issued a certificate of approval but did not require the owner to do any future monitoring or maintenance.
In contrast, any landfill closed today would have ongoing monitoring, inspections, site security and annual reports.
Because of the concerns raised over the site, Mr. Mclelwain said ministry officials now visit at least once a year and have convinced the owner to do some patching and repairs to prevent leachate from seeping out.
But the consultants say more should be done and list a series of recommendations in the new report.
They include installing a series of groundwater monitoring wells, using backhoe excavation to expose and assess the cover protecting the waste to determine whether it is sustainable and doing an elevation survey to create a topographic map of the site.
Golder Associates also recommends annual monitoring program and report and says the MOE should do an engineering evaluation of the existing leachate collection system.
The committee voted to send a copy of the consultant's report to the MOE and ask officials there to provide comment on the recommendations and clarify whether further monitoring and maintenance will be ordered.
Retrieved from http://www.durhamregion.com/news/oshawa/article/178925
New report recommends beefed up monitoring for north Oshawa site
By Jillian Follert
Oshawa This Week
June 9, 2011
OSHAWA -- A new report says a controversial landfill in north Oshawa does not pose a public health threat.
The site has been a source of worry for neighbouring residents and local environmentalists after it started leaking a smelly, rust-coloured liquid in 2008.
Last year council hired a consulting firm to investigate the decommissioned landfill -- located near Harmony Road North and Grandview Street -- and offer an opinion on whether it poses a risk.
"We associate unpleasant visual and smells with something that is likely to be harmful," said Tom Mclelwain, who spoke to council members on behalf of Golder Associates. "But in reality there is no demonstrated adverse effect."
The reddish liquid that periodically stains the ground and creates a film on top of puddles and creek water is iron staining, he said.
Council's development services committee was brought up to speed on the status of the landfill at a special meeting Tuesday morning.
The landfill, bounded by Harmony Valley Park on one side and a large residential subdivision on the other, was formerly owned by Industrial Disposal Oshawa Limited and operated from 1957 to 1980, when it was sealed.
When it was up and running, the 35-acre site accepted solid commercial and industrial waste, primarily from General Motors.
Mr. Mclelwain told council members there is "no documented record" of what went into the landfill over the years, but evidence suggests much of it was paper and other "normal" municipal type waste.
However, he also said potentially dangerous materials -- such as paints and solvents -- may have been dumped in 45-gallon drums.
Depending on when they were disposed of, the consultant said those drums may already have rusted and leaked their contents, or could potentially do so down the road.
"I'm really concerned, people are walking in that area, they're walking their dogs and their dogs are maybe drinking out of the creek," said Councillor Doug Sanders. "We don't know what's in there. It could be a cesspool and we don't know."
Ministry of the Environment officials have tested ground and surface water samples and have done visual inspections of the site and reported no troubling results.
Golder Associates also did its own testing and came up with the same findings.
"It's perfectly consistent with the type of leachate quality that you see at other landfill sites," Mr. Mclelwain said.
Councillor John Aker, who chairs the development services committee, said he is satisfied there is no threat.
"We have to depend on these expert organizations and what they have said," he noted. "It's in the hands of the Ministry of the Environment if they want to do anything more."
After the landfill was closed in the 1980s, the MOE issued a certificate of approval but did not require the owner to do any future monitoring or maintenance.
In contrast, any landfill closed today would have ongoing monitoring, inspections, site security and annual reports.
Because of the concerns raised over the site, Mr. Mclelwain said ministry officials now visit at least once a year and have convinced the owner to do some patching and repairs to prevent leachate from seeping out.
But the consultants say more should be done and list a series of recommendations in the new report.
They include installing a series of groundwater monitoring wells, using backhoe excavation to expose and assess the cover protecting the waste to determine whether it is sustainable and doing an elevation survey to create a topographic map of the site.
Golder Associates also recommends annual monitoring program and report and says the MOE should do an engineering evaluation of the existing leachate collection system.
The committee voted to send a copy of the consultant's report to the MOE and ask officials there to provide comment on the recommendations and clarify whether further monitoring and maintenance will be ordered.
Retrieved from http://www.durhamregion.com/news/oshawa/article/178925
Development Services Committee - June 7; Report from Golder Associates
The landfill was discussed at the June 7 Development Services Committee meeting. From the meeting minutes:
Tom McIelwain, Golder Associates Ltd. Concerning the Industrial Disposal Oshawa Landfill (IDOL), Rossland and Grandview Street North Area
Tom McIelwain, Golder Associates Ltd. addressed the Committee providing an overview of the history of the Industrial Disposal Oshawa Landfill (IDOL) site including its current and historic ownership and uses; a summary of the information known to Golder to exist regarding the IDOL property; a summary of the current understanding related to engineered containment systems; an opinion related to current environmental risk potential of the landfill and an opinion related to the future monitoring/maintenance of the site.
Tom McIelwain advised that his firm was retained by the City in 2010 to review the existing documentation related to the IDOL property and advised that the IDOL property was originally used for a commercial sand and gravel extraction and after the productive sand and gravel unit was fully exploited, the pit was converted into an industrial commercial landfill site. The delegate noted the landfill site was formally closed in 1985 and that an amended certificate of approval was issued by the Ministry of Environment to recognize the closure of the site, but no provisions requiring ongoing monitoring of the environmental status of the site were included. Tom McIelwain advised that it is not known what quantity and nature of waste was placed within the IDOL site.
The delegate provided an overview of the monitoring to-date conducted by various agencies and advised that the Ministry of Environment monitors the site on annual basis, noting no conclusive evidence has been found that would suggest the site has had an “adverse affect” on the Harmony Creek or the surrounding area. Tom McIelwain advised that ongoing monitoring is warranted and offered various recommendations on future monitoring and maintenance of the site.
The Committee questioned Tom McIelwain.
Moved by Councillor Pidwerbecki,
“That the order of the agenda be altered to consider Report DS-11-217, Industrial Disposal Oshawa Landfill (IDOL), Rossland Road East and Grandview Street North Area.” CARRIED
Moved by Councillor Pidwerbecki,
“That the Development Services Committee recommend to City Council:
1. That Report DS-11-217 dated June 2, 2011, be received for information; and,
2. That the Ministry of the Environment be provided a copy of the 2011 Golder Associates report on the Industrial Disposal Oshawa Landfill (IDOL) site in Oshawa (Grandview Street North/Rossland Road East) and be requested to advise the City in writing of its comments on the Golder report, the individual Golder recommendations for additional work and monitoring and whether the Ministry of Environment will amend the existing certificate of approval for the IDOL site to implement the recommendations or to otherwise require the owner of the IDOL site to implement the recommendations or monitor and maintain the site.” CARRIED
----------------------------------------------------------
A public report, Industrial Disposal Oshawa Landfill (IDOL) Rossland Road East and Grandview Street North Area, is available on the City of Oshawa's website (http://www.oshawa.ca/agendas/Development_Services/2011/06-07-Special/%5CDS-11-217-IDOL-Site.pdf).
Dated June 2, this report was brought up at the June 7 meeting.
Tom McIelwain, Golder Associates Ltd. Concerning the Industrial Disposal Oshawa Landfill (IDOL), Rossland and Grandview Street North Area
Tom McIelwain, Golder Associates Ltd. addressed the Committee providing an overview of the history of the Industrial Disposal Oshawa Landfill (IDOL) site including its current and historic ownership and uses; a summary of the information known to Golder to exist regarding the IDOL property; a summary of the current understanding related to engineered containment systems; an opinion related to current environmental risk potential of the landfill and an opinion related to the future monitoring/maintenance of the site.
Tom McIelwain advised that his firm was retained by the City in 2010 to review the existing documentation related to the IDOL property and advised that the IDOL property was originally used for a commercial sand and gravel extraction and after the productive sand and gravel unit was fully exploited, the pit was converted into an industrial commercial landfill site. The delegate noted the landfill site was formally closed in 1985 and that an amended certificate of approval was issued by the Ministry of Environment to recognize the closure of the site, but no provisions requiring ongoing monitoring of the environmental status of the site were included. Tom McIelwain advised that it is not known what quantity and nature of waste was placed within the IDOL site.
The delegate provided an overview of the monitoring to-date conducted by various agencies and advised that the Ministry of Environment monitors the site on annual basis, noting no conclusive evidence has been found that would suggest the site has had an “adverse affect” on the Harmony Creek or the surrounding area. Tom McIelwain advised that ongoing monitoring is warranted and offered various recommendations on future monitoring and maintenance of the site.
The Committee questioned Tom McIelwain.
Moved by Councillor Pidwerbecki,
“That the order of the agenda be altered to consider Report DS-11-217, Industrial Disposal Oshawa Landfill (IDOL), Rossland Road East and Grandview Street North Area.” CARRIED
Moved by Councillor Pidwerbecki,
“That the Development Services Committee recommend to City Council:
1. That Report DS-11-217 dated June 2, 2011, be received for information; and,
2. That the Ministry of the Environment be provided a copy of the 2011 Golder Associates report on the Industrial Disposal Oshawa Landfill (IDOL) site in Oshawa (Grandview Street North/Rossland Road East) and be requested to advise the City in writing of its comments on the Golder report, the individual Golder recommendations for additional work and monitoring and whether the Ministry of Environment will amend the existing certificate of approval for the IDOL site to implement the recommendations or to otherwise require the owner of the IDOL site to implement the recommendations or monitor and maintain the site.” CARRIED
----------------------------------------------------------
A public report, Industrial Disposal Oshawa Landfill (IDOL) Rossland Road East and Grandview Street North Area, is available on the City of Oshawa's website (http://www.oshawa.ca/agendas/Development_Services/2011/06-07-Special/%5CDS-11-217-IDOL-Site.pdf).
Dated June 2, this report was brought up at the June 7 meeting.
January 11, 2011
Improved transparency on Ontario's aging landfills?
ECO Aging Landfill Recommendation prompts MOE to take action
Posted on December 7, 2010
Source: Environmental Commissioner of Ontario's blog
http://www.eco.on.ca/blog/2010/12/07/eco-aging-landfill-recommendation-prompts-moe-to-take-action/
Aging landfills are a longstanding issue for the ECO. Since opening our office in 1994, we have received hundreds of calls from the public concerned about the potential environmental harm resulting from small and aging landfills. Sharing their frustrations, we voiced our concerns regarding the lack of Ministry of the Environment (MOE) oversight of small and aging landfills in our 2006 Annual Report, and strongly urged MOE to create a publicly accessible inventory of all landfills in Ontario, and to update outdated Certificates of Approvals (C of A) for landfills. These findings were also echoed in the Auditor General of Ontario’s 2010 Annual Report, released yesterday.
We decided to revisit this issue in our 2010 Annual Report and found that our concerns regarding MOE oversight and transparency on landfills remained unresolved. The ministry had lost track of hundreds of aging landfills, which potentially threaten Ontario’s water and air quality. MOE was only inspecting 11 per cent of landfills with Cs of A, while approximately 1000 dumps that closed prior to the creation of MOE were, for the most part, forgotten. The public was still unable to access up-to-date information on landfills, despite MOE publishing an inventory in 1991. Furthermore, a process to update outdated landfill Cs of A still did not exist.
We are happy to learn that in response to the issues raised by both our office and the Auditor General, MOE has begun to work on some good initiatives to strengthen the oversight of aging landfills. Among these is a publicly accessible list of 2,400 Ontario landfills with Cs of A that has been added to the MOE website. This list will evolve so the information can be easily searchable. We have also been assured that monitoring, assessment, and reporting on compliance of landfills will all be improved over the coming months and years. Stay tuned for more information on MOE’s progress in meeting our recommendations and its own commitments for better oversight of landfills.
__________________________________________________________
Following the link from the Environmental Commissioner's blog, you are taken to the Ministry of Environment (MOE) Landfill Inventory Management Ontario (LIMO): http://www.ene.gov.on.ca/en/land/limo/index.php
Under closed landfills, it lists:
Certificate of Approval (CofA) information: A390102, Issued:05/01/1973
Site Information: Industrial Disposal (Oshawa) Landfill
Client: Philips Services Inc.
Site Location: Part Lot 3, Conc 3
City of Oshawa
County, District or Region: Durham
The document containing details of an amendment to the original Certificate of Approval can be found on this site by searching the CofA A390102.
Posted on December 7, 2010
Source: Environmental Commissioner of Ontario's blog
http://www.eco.on.ca/blog/2010/12/07/eco-aging-landfill-recommendation-prompts-moe-to-take-action/
Aging landfills are a longstanding issue for the ECO. Since opening our office in 1994, we have received hundreds of calls from the public concerned about the potential environmental harm resulting from small and aging landfills. Sharing their frustrations, we voiced our concerns regarding the lack of Ministry of the Environment (MOE) oversight of small and aging landfills in our 2006 Annual Report, and strongly urged MOE to create a publicly accessible inventory of all landfills in Ontario, and to update outdated Certificates of Approvals (C of A) for landfills. These findings were also echoed in the Auditor General of Ontario’s 2010 Annual Report, released yesterday.
We decided to revisit this issue in our 2010 Annual Report and found that our concerns regarding MOE oversight and transparency on landfills remained unresolved. The ministry had lost track of hundreds of aging landfills, which potentially threaten Ontario’s water and air quality. MOE was only inspecting 11 per cent of landfills with Cs of A, while approximately 1000 dumps that closed prior to the creation of MOE were, for the most part, forgotten. The public was still unable to access up-to-date information on landfills, despite MOE publishing an inventory in 1991. Furthermore, a process to update outdated landfill Cs of A still did not exist.
We are happy to learn that in response to the issues raised by both our office and the Auditor General, MOE has begun to work on some good initiatives to strengthen the oversight of aging landfills. Among these is a publicly accessible list of 2,400 Ontario landfills with Cs of A that has been added to the MOE website. This list will evolve so the information can be easily searchable. We have also been assured that monitoring, assessment, and reporting on compliance of landfills will all be improved over the coming months and years. Stay tuned for more information on MOE’s progress in meeting our recommendations and its own commitments for better oversight of landfills.
__________________________________________________________
Following the link from the Environmental Commissioner's blog, you are taken to the Ministry of Environment (MOE) Landfill Inventory Management Ontario (LIMO): http://www.ene.gov.on.ca/en/land/limo/index.php
Under closed landfills, it lists:
Certificate of Approval (CofA) information: A390102, Issued:05/01/1973
Site Information: Industrial Disposal (Oshawa) Landfill
Client: Philips Services Inc.
Site Location: Part Lot 3, Conc 3
City of Oshawa
County, District or Region: Durham
The document containing details of an amendment to the original Certificate of Approval can be found on this site by searching the CofA A390102.
September 23, 2010
Environmental Commissioner of Ontario releases Annual Report
Environmental Commissioner of Ontario, Gord Miller, released his 2009/10 Annual Report on September 22, 2010. 'Redefining Conservation' is available online at http://www.eco.on.ca/eng/index.php/pubs/eco-publications/2009-10-annual-report.php.
The full report contains a section on landfills:
Chapter 6 - Rethinking Waste
6.1 - Aging Landfills: Ontario's Forgotten Polluters
6.1.1 - Ontario's Old Dumps: Patch Them Up or Shut Them Down
The Supplement to the Annual Report contains a section on the Application for Investigation into the Harmomy Landfill.
Section 6: ECO Reviews of Applications for Investigation
6.1 - Ministry of Environment
6.1.1 - Alleged EPA Contraventions at a Closed Oshawa Landfill Site
Here (page 315 - 320) the landfill is discussed, covering Background/Summary of Issues, Other Information, Ministry Response, and ECO Comment.
Links to the PDF reports:
Full report: http://www.eco.on.ca/eng/uploads/eng_pdfs/2010/2010%20Annual%20Report.pdf
Supplemental Report: http://www.eco.on.ca/eng/uploads/eng_pdfs/2010/2010%20Supp.pdf
The full report contains a section on landfills:
Chapter 6 - Rethinking Waste
6.1 - Aging Landfills: Ontario's Forgotten Polluters
6.1.1 - Ontario's Old Dumps: Patch Them Up or Shut Them Down
The Supplement to the Annual Report contains a section on the Application for Investigation into the Harmomy Landfill.
Section 6: ECO Reviews of Applications for Investigation
6.1 - Ministry of Environment
6.1.1 - Alleged EPA Contraventions at a Closed Oshawa Landfill Site
Here (page 315 - 320) the landfill is discussed, covering Background/Summary of Issues, Other Information, Ministry Response, and ECO Comment.
Links to the PDF reports:
Full report: http://www.eco.on.ca/eng/uploads/eng_pdfs/2010/2010%20Annual%20Report.pdf
Supplemental Report: http://www.eco.on.ca/eng/uploads/eng_pdfs/2010/2010%20Supp.pdf
July 13, 2010
Oshawa City Council meeting - June 28
IDOL was on the City Council agenda on June 28, 2010. Very little details are listed in the meeting minutes:
Industrial Disposal Oshawa Limited (IDOL), Rossland Road East and Grandview Street North Area (DS-10-140) (All Wards)
Recommendation (CARRIED – See Page 371)
That Report DS-10-140 dated June 9, 2010 regarding Industrial Disposal Oshawa Limited, be received for information and that staff provide further updates as appropriate.
These meeting minutes can be found at http://www.oshawa.ca/agendas/City_Council/2010/2010%20Minutes/2010_06_28_Minutes.pdf
I believe this means that the June Report DS-10-140 from the Development Services Committee has been accepted by City Council. A link to this report can be found in my previous blog.
Industrial Disposal Oshawa Limited (IDOL), Rossland Road East and Grandview Street North Area (DS-10-140) (All Wards)
Recommendation (CARRIED – See Page 371)
That Report DS-10-140 dated June 9, 2010 regarding Industrial Disposal Oshawa Limited, be received for information and that staff provide further updates as appropriate.
These meeting minutes can be found at http://www.oshawa.ca/agendas/City_Council/2010/2010%20Minutes/2010_06_28_Minutes.pdf
I believe this means that the June Report DS-10-140 from the Development Services Committee has been accepted by City Council. A link to this report can be found in my previous blog.
June 16, 2010
Article in Oshawa This Week - June 16
City pushing for update on controversial Oshawa landfill
Several reports, test results expected this fall
Oshawa This Week
By Jillian Follert
June 16, 2010
http://www.newsdurhamregion.com/news/oshawa/article/156353
OSHAWA -- The City of Oshawa is working to get updated information on a sealed landfill that is an ongoing concern for local residents -- but it's slow going.
It was two years ago that environmental advocate Sarah Ross spoke to councillors about potential contaminants in the soil and water near a decommissioned landfill at Rossland Road and Harmony Road North.
Residents living near the site have complained about "orange goo" staining the ground nearby and an orange sheen on puddles of water, and last summer several Oshawa families reported their dogs became ill after walking near the landfill.
After Ms. Ross raised the alarm, councillors directed City staff to get more information from the Ministry of the Environment and Central Lake Ontario Conservation Area, but there haven't been any significant updates since.
Suzanne Elston, the City's senior environmental coordinator, said gathering this type of data typically takes awhile.
"When you're dealing with the Ministry of the Environment, the Environmental Commissioner, a private absentee land owner, CLOCA the City of Oshawa, things take time," she said. "But, I feel very confident that we're heading in the right direction."
In 2008, Ms. Ross and Lake Ontario Waterkeeper independently tested water and soil near the landfill and reported high levels of arsenic, aluminum, lead, copper and other contaminants, which could potentially leach into Harmony Creek and Lake Ontario.
They filed an application for investigation with the Province's environmental commissioner and the ministry of the environment agreed to launch an investigation in January 2009.
The ministry subsequently said there was no violation of the Environmental Protection Act, but agreed to test water from the landfill site and Harmony Creek.
MOE spokeswoman Kate Jordan says that work was completed, with no cause for concern.
"All the results have been safe," she said. "They haven't identified any off-site impact."
She also said there haven't been any orders issued to the owner -- Jim Sinclair, a Mississauga developer -- since he was required to do some cleanup work in 2009.
Mr. Sinclair could not be reached for comment.
Lake Ontario Waterkeeper President Mark Mattson said more needs to be done to keep the public informed on the state of landfills like the one in Oshawa.
"While ongoing sampling at the site is essential, the efforts won't ensure environmental protection unless the public is part of the process," he said. "Transparency demands that the ministry make its sampling results public so that council and Oshawa residents have the information they need to make informed decisions about this, and other, closed landfills in their community."
Ms. Elston said the City expects to get much more information after council's summer recess, when several reports will be finished.
The office of the environmental commissioner has said information about the Oshawa landfill will be included in a report coming out this fall, while a UOIT graduate student who has been collecting samples from the site for two years plans to present findings to council's development services committee in the fall as well.
The City has also spent $1,500 to hire consultants to review all existing documents about the landfill and provide an opinion on potential health risks and the extent of environmental remediation required. That report is also due this fall.
The landfill was originally owned by Industrial Disposal Oshawa Limited and operated from 1957 to 1980, when it was sealed.
While it was operational, the 35-acre site accepted about one million tonnes of solid commercial and industrial waste, primarily from General Motors. A 1992 Ontario Municipal Board decision said liquid waste dumped there included paint sludge, anti-freeze, brake fluid, hydraulic oils and isopropyl alcohol.
Several reports, test results expected this fall
Oshawa This Week
By Jillian Follert
June 16, 2010
http://www.newsdurhamregion.com/news/oshawa/article/156353
OSHAWA -- The City of Oshawa is working to get updated information on a sealed landfill that is an ongoing concern for local residents -- but it's slow going.
It was two years ago that environmental advocate Sarah Ross spoke to councillors about potential contaminants in the soil and water near a decommissioned landfill at Rossland Road and Harmony Road North.
Residents living near the site have complained about "orange goo" staining the ground nearby and an orange sheen on puddles of water, and last summer several Oshawa families reported their dogs became ill after walking near the landfill.
After Ms. Ross raised the alarm, councillors directed City staff to get more information from the Ministry of the Environment and Central Lake Ontario Conservation Area, but there haven't been any significant updates since.
Suzanne Elston, the City's senior environmental coordinator, said gathering this type of data typically takes awhile.
"When you're dealing with the Ministry of the Environment, the Environmental Commissioner, a private absentee land owner, CLOCA the City of Oshawa, things take time," she said. "But, I feel very confident that we're heading in the right direction."
In 2008, Ms. Ross and Lake Ontario Waterkeeper independently tested water and soil near the landfill and reported high levels of arsenic, aluminum, lead, copper and other contaminants, which could potentially leach into Harmony Creek and Lake Ontario.
They filed an application for investigation with the Province's environmental commissioner and the ministry of the environment agreed to launch an investigation in January 2009.
The ministry subsequently said there was no violation of the Environmental Protection Act, but agreed to test water from the landfill site and Harmony Creek.
MOE spokeswoman Kate Jordan says that work was completed, with no cause for concern.
"All the results have been safe," she said. "They haven't identified any off-site impact."
She also said there haven't been any orders issued to the owner -- Jim Sinclair, a Mississauga developer -- since he was required to do some cleanup work in 2009.
Mr. Sinclair could not be reached for comment.
Lake Ontario Waterkeeper President Mark Mattson said more needs to be done to keep the public informed on the state of landfills like the one in Oshawa.
"While ongoing sampling at the site is essential, the efforts won't ensure environmental protection unless the public is part of the process," he said. "Transparency demands that the ministry make its sampling results public so that council and Oshawa residents have the information they need to make informed decisions about this, and other, closed landfills in their community."
Ms. Elston said the City expects to get much more information after council's summer recess, when several reports will be finished.
The office of the environmental commissioner has said information about the Oshawa landfill will be included in a report coming out this fall, while a UOIT graduate student who has been collecting samples from the site for two years plans to present findings to council's development services committee in the fall as well.
The City has also spent $1,500 to hire consultants to review all existing documents about the landfill and provide an opinion on potential health risks and the extent of environmental remediation required. That report is also due this fall.
The landfill was originally owned by Industrial Disposal Oshawa Limited and operated from 1957 to 1980, when it was sealed.
While it was operational, the 35-acre site accepted about one million tonnes of solid commercial and industrial waste, primarily from General Motors. A 1992 Ontario Municipal Board decision said liquid waste dumped there included paint sludge, anti-freeze, brake fluid, hydraulic oils and isopropyl alcohol.
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