Hamilton and Airport Ordered to Clean Up Toxic Mess

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Published September 19, 2019 at 7:51 pm

The city and the airport have a big mess on their hands.

The city and the airport have a big mess on their hands.

On September 6, the Ministry of Environment, Conservation and Parks issued a preventative measures order to Hamilton International Airport Limited, Tradeport International Corporation and the City of Hamilton to clean up a portion of airport road that has been known to be contaminated with chemicals used in firefighting foam.

The area mentioned in order is known to have been a training ground for firefighters in the past. The address on the order is Suite 2206 – 9300 Airport Rd. near Hamilton International Airport.

“It is apparent through prior studies and (recent) reports that contamination is migrating from the site, at levels adversely affecting the natural environment,” reads the order.

It says that those named in the order are required “to undertake the Perfluoroalkyl Substances (PFAS) Mitigation Plan provided to and accepted by the ministry.”

The order outlines the required actions and completion dates to address on-site impacts, including:

  • removal of PFAS impacted surface water and the consolidation of sediment and soils from the western pond and field drainage course;
  • relocation of the impacted material to the former fire fighting training area and placement within a designated repository area;
  • capping of the PFAS impacted material with a low permeability cap system to prevent water infiltration and the migration of contaminants;
  • implementation of a monitoring plan to assess the long-term effectiveness of the mitigation actions, including the ongoing sampling of surface water and drainage course to determine if discharges are occurring from the site, and
  • preparation of an inspection and maintenance program to ensure the continuing integrity of the PFAS containment for as long as the PFAS contaminants are present at the site.

The compliance date on the order is slated for this month.

Photo courtesy Hamilton International Airport Facebook page

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