THUNDER BAY — A City of Thunder Bay official expects the cost of remediating contaminated soil around the site of the new waterfront art gallery will be nowhere near the maximum amount outlined in a city report three years ago.
An estimate provided to city council in 2017 pegged the bill for dealing with the issue as high as $5.7 million.
That figure assumed that total excavation, removal and replacement of all contaminated soil would be required.
The same report stated the cost could fall to as low as $250,000, assuming only minimal remediation activity would be needed.
Tbnewswatch.com published the figures last week in a story that updated the city's efforts to meet the provincial government's requirements for the redevelopment of brownfield (former industrial) properties.
After submitting two Risk Assessments to the Ministry of the Environment, Conservation and Parks in the past year, the ministry recently asked the city to clarify some of the data it provided.
Although the ministry has not signed off on the city's plan as yet, Director of Asset Management Gerry Broere indicated Monday that he is optimistic about the outcome.
Referring to the cost of remediation, Broere said "I can tell you with confidence that we won't be near the high end. We will be at the lower end, but not at the lowest end" of the 2017 estimate.
"What we're looking for from the ministry is confirmation of the strategy that we want to utilize. Based on the strategy that we've proposed is the numbers that I'm talking about today," he told Tbnewswatch without disclosing any revised figures.
The city's strategy, Broere revealed, includes capping the contaminated material.
He clarified, however, that the city has had no indication yet if the ministry feels the plan is appropriate.
Capping involves installation of a surface barrier that restricts water infiltration into a contaminated subsurface.
Broere also noted that the city won't be solely responsible for the cost of whatever approach is eventually approved.
He said it will be shared with the Thunder Bay Art Gallery based on the amount of land utilized by each party.
The city is developing some public lands in the vicinity simultaneously with the construction of the art gallery.
The gallery will lease its site from the municipality.
Gallery executive-director Sharon Godwin said Monday "We don't have the numbers yet," but added "At this point, we don't anticipate huge costs around remediation."
Godwin echoed Broere in saying that's based on the expectation the environment ministry will not require the removal of large amounts of soil.
A spokeswoman for the ministry confirmed the city has been asked for additional information about its proposal, but she declined to provide details.
