ADMINISTRATIVE REPORT
Date: May 7, 1996
Dept. File No. 3103
TO: Vancouver City Council
FROM: Manager of Real Estate Services
SUBJECT: Phase IIA Environmental Site Reports on Three Local
Areas of the City-owned lands on the Southeast Shore of
False Creek.
RECOMMENDATION
A. THAT Council receive the *reports on Phase IIA Environmental
Site Assessment on three local areas (marked as Study Areas A,
B and C in Appendix "A") on the City-owned lands on the
Southeast Shore of False Creek for information;
B. THAT the budgets for Morrow Environmental Consultants Inc. and
MTR Consultants Ltd's contracts be increased upon approval of
the Manager of Real Estate Services, to include the monitoring
of the environmental site conditions at the Engineering Asphalt
Plant area (Study Area A) and the former Canron site area
(Study Area B), for a total additional cost for both contracts
not to exceed $20,000 plus GST to be funded by the Property
Endowment Fund.
GENERAL MANAGER'S COMMENTS
The General Manager of Corporate Services RECOMMENDS approval of
the foregoing.
COUNCIL POLICY
- On July 26, 1990, Council identified the Southeast Shore of False
Creek as a let-go industrial area.
- On December 3, 1991, as part of the Central Area Plan, Council
resolved that housing be the main land use when planning for the
Southeast Shore of False Creek, and the City Works Yard location
was reaffirmed at least until the year 2003.
- On September 28, 1993, Council approved the purchase of the former
BNR Lands at Malkin Avenue, partly for relocating the existing City
Works Yard at Cambie and 1st Avenue.
- On December 6, 1994, as part of the Clouds of Change Status Report,
Council resolved that the Special Office for the Environment
explore with the Real Estate Division, the potential for utilizing
City lands in the Southeast False Creek as a model for sustainable
development.
PURPOSE
This report informs Council of the findings of the recently completed
Phase IIA environmental site assessment on the City-owned lands on the
Southeast Shore of False Creek, and also requests Council's approval of
a budget for contingency purposes in connection with further monitoring
at two local areas, i.e. the Engineering Asphalt Plant area and the
former Canron plant area.
BACKGROUND
On May 18, 1993, Council directed Real Estate staff to carry out an
environmental site assessment of approximately 42 Acres of City-owned
lands on the Southeast Shore of False Creek, and approved MTR
Consultants Ltd. as environmental project manager for a maximum fee of
$100,000 inclusive of GST.
On January 24, 1994, Council approved Morrow Environmental Consultants
Inc. and Envirochem Special Projects Inc. to carry out preliminary
environmental site sampling and analysis (Phase II) on the lands at a
total cost not to exceed $200,000 inclusive of GST.
On January 17, 1995, Council received, for information, a report on the
findings of the Phase II environmental assessments. The report found
that in-so-far as contamination issues are concerned, residential use
would be feasible at the eastern portion of the City lands; it could be
feasible at the centre portion, but it will be very costly at the City
works Yard site.
In January 1995, the findings and scientific data were discussed by Real
Estate staff and MTR with the staff of the Ministry of Environment and
Environment Canada. The environmental authorities requested further
assessments on three local areas marked as Study Area A, B and C in
Appendix "A". The objective was to assess the potential for escape of
contaminants through ground water into False Creek.
On May 2, 1995, Council approved Morrow Environmental Consultants Inc.
and MTR Consultants Ltd. to carry out further assessments at a total
cost not to exceed $75,000 inclusive of GST.
DISCUSSION
In February 1995, Morrow and MTR devised an investigation plan which
was forwarded to the environmental authorities. Subsequent to Council's
approval in May 1995, the consultants implemented the investigation
plan. The detailed reports were completed recently and Real Estate staff
will submit the reports to the environmental authorities as requested.
In accordance with the consultants' recommendation, monitoring work is
on-going within existing approved budgets.
Relevant to the objective of identifying the potential of contaminants
escaping into False Creek, the findings are summarized as follows:
Study Area A (Engineering Asphalt Plant):
A body of viscous hydro-carbon materials is identified to be
situated underneath the asphalt plant but has not migrated to
within 65 feet of False Creek. A plume of ground water with
dissolved hydro-carbon compounds in excess of the standards for
discharge to a marine environment, occurs in conjunction with the
said viscous hydro-carbon body and extends down-gradient to within
65 feet of False Creek. By inference, some dissolved hydro-carbons
may be escaping into False Creek through ground water.
City Engineering intends to relocate the asphalt plant in
approximately two years time, and upon this knowledge, the
consultants recommended monitoring the ground water quality and the
conditions of light hydro-carbon liquid around the plant until the
plant is decommissioned. This monitoring work is on-going and if
significant deteriorations are noted during monitoring, additional
actions may be required.
Study Area B (Former Canron Plant):
In general, metals contamination is widespread within fill
materials across the site and is probably due to the historical use
of heterogeneous mineral soil as fill material in forming the site.
A plume of contaminated ground water containing zinc and ammonia
concentrations exceeding the standards for discharge to a marine
environment has been identified at the former galvanizing
operational area extending down-gradient to False Creek. A storm
sewer outfall is present on the site, and elevated concentrations
of zinc and ammonia were also found in the samples from the
outfall.
The consultants recommended monitoring of ground water and the
storm sewer outfall to assess variations and trends in water
quality over time and the state of the tide. This work is on-going
within approved budgets.
Study Area C (North-eastern corner of City lands):
In this local area, a body of high concentrations of hydro-carbon
materials in soil are identified within 80 feet of False Creek, and
the source of the contamination appears to be the entrainment of
probably coal tar within the historical fill material forming the
site. In this area, ground water was identified to be contaminated
by dissolved hydro-carbon materials in excess of the standards for
discharge to a marine environment. However, the estimated amount of
dissolved hydro-carbon materials that may be escaping into False
Creek is not considered to be major.
No further environmental work is recommended at this local area
until such time as preliminary land use plans are developed.
The cost of the on-going monitoring work at the Asphalt Plant area and
the former Canron Plant area is expected to be within the scope of the
approved budgets, but it is prudent to set up a contingency budget in
order that timely actions can be taken if so required. Therefore, Real
Estate Services requests Council's approval of $20,000 plus GST to meet
any such need; the sum to be funded by the Property Endowment Fund. The
contingency amount is intended for consultant fees for any additional
work and will not be sufficient to cover soil removal or other
remediation work which if required will be the subject of a report back
to Council.
* * * * *
General Manager Report dated May 7, 1996
Date Author Kolvane Yuh Phone 7125
This report has been prepared IRTS Number
in consultation with the
departments listed to the Concurring Departments
right, and they concur with its
contents. Finance
Division Head
Engineering
Date
HP5-6858.COV