Minister of Environment and Energy Jamie Ballem offered reassurances today to Charlottetown area residents that the former Imperial Oil tank farm does not pose a risk to neighbouring properties or nearby parkland.
An environmental site assessment last fall determined that the level of contamination on the Imperial Oil property exceeded soil and groundwater quality guidelines. As a result, the Department of Environment and Energy asked the company to provide a risk assessment to determine whether the contamination posed a threat to nearby properties, including Joseph A. Ghiz Memorial Park.
“The 700-page risk assessment, which the department received June 23, specifically looked at the potential health risk to a toddler playing in the park and concluded that there is no risk,” said Minister Ballem.
“This is a popular city park and the department has received a few phone calls from area residents concerned about their children using the park. I certainly understand those concerns and appreciate residents asking the question. I want to assure all park users that the potential threat to human health was fully considered in the risk assessment and the report concluded the former tank farm poses no risk to park users of all ages.”
Minister Ballem stressed that those affected would have been notified immediately if the risk assessment had shown that the Imperial Oil site presented any health and safety risk.
The Department of Environment and Energy is now working with the company to ensure a basic cleanup of the site is carried out. That will involve cleaning up pockets of gas that are detected and establishing a regular groundwater monitoring program to confirm that the site remains stable over time.
Minister Ballem said the department has kept the City of Charlottetown up to date on progress, and will continue to do so. Correspondence from the Department of Environment and Energy to Imperial Oil, including a June 28 letter outlining the basic findings of the risk assessment and the cleanup action that would be required, were copied to appropriate city staff. Earlier this month, the city requested a copy of the initial 600-page environmental site assessment which was completed last fall. That is being provided this week.
The basic cleanup of the Imperial Oil property is expected to be completed within a year. If future development of the property is proposed, that would involve further cleanup depending on the nature of the development.