P. Machibroda Engineering Ltd. conducted several investigations including Phase I and II ESAs at a former coal fired power plant located along the South Saskatchewan River. Results of the assessment work indicated that the contamination at the site included heavy metals, polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) and petroleum hydrocarbons (PHCs) and, could extend to depths of up to 7 m below grade. Although the site could have been remediated using conventional excavation and offsite disposal, the randomness of the deposits did not allow for an adequate determination of the volume of contaminated soil without significant additional investigation. This was viewed as a major impediment to site redevelopment as the design team had a limited budget and did not know how the costs were to be proportioned between remediation and redevelopment. In light of the above and following extensive consultation with the site owner and both Federal and Provincial regulatory authorities, it was proposed that a Human Health Risk Assessment (HHRA) be conducted to determine if the proposed redevelopment (park) would adversely affect the health of the proposed users of the proposed redevelopment. The findings of the HHRA indicated that the contaminants identified at the site would not pose a significant risk to human health. The HHRA findings were reviewed by federal (Health Canada) and provincial (Saskatchewan Environment) regulatory authorities. Following their review and subsequent approval, a regulatory permit was granted for redevelopment of the site by the Saskatchewan Ministry of Environment.

We were the recipient of the Exceptional Engineering/Geoscience Project Award (presented by APEGS) for this project.