Environmental remediation of a petroleum hydrocarbon release in one of the remaining pristine riverine ecosystems in a major urban area

Location
Oakville, Ontario
Offices
Client
  • Trans-Northern Pipelines Inc.
Partners
  • Stamnik Industrial Inc.
Award
2023 Brownie Award – Remediate: Sustainable Remediation and Technological Innovation

Bronte Creek Valley Remediation

Bronte Creek is one of the last remaining pristine urban ecosystems, located in the largest forested north-south corridor in Ontario. With a diverse warmwater fish community and several rare and species at risk, it’s also used for recreational angling. When a gasoline release occurred in the creek, Trans-Northern Pipelines looked to us to remediate and restore the impacted parts of the valley.

Had our team adopted the traditional remediation approach of soil removal to address the impacts, it would have taken decades for the site to recover. Instead, we considered the broader ecological, economic, and social impacts. To preserve the use of the site, we adopted a more sustainable remedial and risk management strategy. Public, regulatory, and stakeholder consultation were cornerstones of the overall process. Individual and community needs for site use, sustainability, regeneration, and revitalization were considered from project outset to site closure and beyond. We incorporated sustainable technologies such as targeted source area removal, phytoremediation, enhanced bioremediation, risk management, and monitored natural attenuation to leverage the natural powers of the ecosystem to regenerate itself. 

Our approach helped Trans-Northern Pipelines restore the site to its original condition—and maintain the ecological value and recreational function throughout the project’s life cycle and into the future.

Location
Oakville, Ontario
Offices
Client
  • Trans-Northern Pipelines Inc.
Partners
  • Stamnik Industrial Inc.
Award
2023 Brownie Award – Remediate: Sustainable Remediation and Technological Innovation

Services

Markets