The soil remediation process near the Norfolk OPP Detachment continues to be a costly matter.
Petroleum Hydrocarbon contamination was identified during geotechnical drilling for the Norfolk County Garage expansion in 2008.
Investigations determined that the garage was the source of the contamination and that a soil and ground water contaminant plume was extending from that building east through the adjacent wooded lot across Rob Blake Way and further east through the vacant lot north of the Ontario Provincial Police Station.
In May 2016, the leading edge of the contaminant plume was detected on the eastern limits of the vacant lot, about 35 m west of the residential townhouse complex located on the east side of Frederick Hobson VC Drive and was within the two-year capture zone of the Cedar Street municipal well field triggering immediate remedial action.
Right now, a multi-train treatment system including clay and carbon treatment vessels as well as allowing for the injection of surfactants and hydrocarbon degrading bacteria directly into the subsurface zone of
contamination is taking place.
Pilot injections of a nutrient based solution into the injection well bank on the eastern exterior wall of the NCG building began in April 2022 to act as a “food source” for naturally occurring PHC degrading bacteria.
In September 2022, nutrient injections began in all of the injection well banks, working eastward from the eastern exterior wall of the NCG building, through the wooded lot.
Once nutrient injection has been completed in all banks, sometime will be taken for system maintenance before injections with the addition of cultured bacteria expected to begin by early 2023.
The Capital Budget contains an allocation of $10,401,000 for the Norfolk County Garage Soil Remediation Project, with an additional $750,000 planned for 2024.
To date $6,705,950 of expenditures related to these works have been spent.
Written by Matt LeBlanc
