Middle Harbour Remediation

Overview

Cleanup of Laurel Point Park – Former Site of Paint Factory

QM Environmental, through its Joint Venture, QM/JJM Contracting, was awarded a contract for the remediation and restoration of contaminated soil in an infilled area of Middle Harbour, at Laurel Point Park, Victoria in British Columbia. This $22 million cleanup was the final phase of Transport Canada’s comprehensive Middle Harbour Remediation Project to preserve the harbour and remove persistent contaminants from the ecosystem.

The 1.3-hectare park was the location of a filled area used as a former industrial site for manufacture of paint from approximately 1922 to 1972, resulting in the underlying soil to be filled with pollutants such as PCBs and metals that impact the local ecosystem. The project involves removing approximately 35,000 cubic metres of contaminated soil and replacing it with clean soil.

Project Scope

• This project demanded a high degree of staging and sequencing to succeed in the mechanical excavation and marine based materials transfer of over 70,000 tonnes of contaminated soil in 6 waste classes. Waste classes included leachable metals, hazardous waste PCBs, hydrocarbons and metals. All impacted soil was transported by barge and truck to off-site disposal/treatment facilities. Disposal sites included British Columbia, Alberta, Quebec, Washington State, and QM Environmental’s bioremediation facility on Vancouver Island.

• Upland excavation was completed using 5 excavators with GPS enabled tracking, rock trucks, compactors, and marine equipment. The transfer of material required that a barge ramp be installed to allow marine transport of material to and from the Site.

• QM planned and executed this project in accordance with a strict environmental management plan. To minimise impacts from sediment laden water flushing into the ocean during tide cycles multiple layers of silt curtain, ranging from 1 to 4 m in depth were installed.

• QM completed the project using safe methodology, an innovative technique to divert uncontaminated material form costly waste streams. The Site was restored by backfilling with 5 backfill materials, armouring the foreshore and applying sod.