May 11, 2014

Development Services Committee meeting - May 5

The results of surface water quality testing at the landfill was raised at the May 5 Development Services Committee meeting. A report was received indicating that monitoring results are consistent with all monitoring data collected since 2008 and that there is no indication that there is any impact on the groundwater from the l.D.O.L. landfill. From the report it sounds like the water quality testing was conducted in Harmony Creek; I would have found it helpful if these results included a map of where the water was sampled.

From the meeting minutes (http://www.oshawa.ca/agendas/Development_Services/2014/05-05/2014-05-05-DSC-Minutes-08.pdf):

Results of Surface Water Quality Testing, Industrial Disposal Oshawa Landfill (l.D.0.L.) Rossland Road East and Grandview Street North Area


Recommendation   (CARRIED – See Page 4)


That the Development Services Committee recommend to City Council:
That Report DS-14-88 dated April 30, 2014 be received for information and staff continue to provide the Development Services Committee and Council with Ministry of the Environment correspondence and findings regarding the Industrial Disposal Oshawa Landfill site in the Grandview Street North and Rossland  Road East area.  

Highlights from the public report, dated April 30, 2014:  
1.0 PURPOSE
The purpose of this report is to overview the results of 2013 Ministry of the Environment (M.O.E.) testing in Harmony Creek adjacent to the Industrial Disposal Oshawa Landfill (l.D.O.L.) site located in the Rossland Road East/Grandview Street North area.

The report is provided pursuant to previous requests by the Development Services Committee and Council to be kept aware of information received from M.O.E. in respect to the l.D.O.L. site.

Attachment 1 is an air photo showing the l.D.O.L. site and the surrounding area. 

A copy of the actual lab results from the M.O.E.'s testing are available in the Planning Services Branch in City Hall (Contact: Suzanne Elston).

5.0 ANALYSIS
- The l.D.O.L. site is a privately-owned closed landfill located east of the Grandview Street North/Rossland Road East intersection (see Attachment 1). 
- The Development Services Committee and Council have received a number of reports in this term of  Council in respect to the condition of the l.D.O.L. site and have requested to be kept informed of the results
on any M.O.E. testing or correspondence. 
- In this regard, on March 14, 2014 staff received the results of surface water sampling that M.O.E. conducted in (November 2013) in Harmony Creek adjacent to the l.D.O.L site. 
- M.O.E. advises, based on the results of its November 2013 testing, that:
     - The results are consistent with all monitoring data collected since 2008
     - There is no indication that there is any impact on the groundwater from the l.D.O.L. landfill
     - V.O.C. (Volatile Organic Compound) results are classified as
     - Levels of heavy metals (chloride, mercury, arsenic, et al) are classified as <=W (i.e. "No measurable response")
     - Levels of Poly Aromatic Hydrocarbon levels are classified as <=W (i.e. "No measurable response.") 
- M.O.E. has advised that it will provide the City with updates and reports on the l.D.O.L. site as they become available. 

The report is available: http://www.oshawa.ca/agendas/development_services/2014/05-05/DS-14-88-IDOL-Update.pdf


These monitoring results were mentioned in Oshawa Express' City in Brief on May 28:

All’s well at former landfill

The Ontario Ministry of the Environment says there is no “impact on the groundwater” at the former Industrial Disposal Oshawa Landfill (IDOL) site.

The levels of volatile organic compounds, heavy metals and poly aromatic hydrocarbon levels were found to be negligible by testing done by the ministry in November 2013.

Oshawa’s Development Services Committee received the update at its May 5 meeting.

The former landfill is located east of Grandview Street North and south of Corbett’s Road. A dog park lies to the northeast.

The site was a commercial sand and gravel pit before it was turned into a landfill in 1957. It was formally closed in 1985.

Article is available: http://69-27-97-91.blacksun.ca/viewposting.php?view=6479