Techworking

The Canadian Brownfield Network’s new technical committee aims to topple brownfield barriers.

Dealing with contaminated sites involves more than just finding the right soil remediation technology and applying it. Each technology should be considered and applied within a range of options, including risk assessment, for managing contaminated sites. Environmental policy and regulations vary between jurisdictions and can influence which method to use-there’s no simple recipe that both tells developers which technology to choose and how to reassure the public once that choice has been made.

The Sydney Tar Ponds Association may endorse solidification/stabilization as the most effective method of treatment, but how do we really know which technologies are appropriate?

The Canadian Brownfields Network (CBN) is forming a technical committee (CBNTC) that will aim to identify and offer best practice information for common recurring technical issues constraining brownfield development across Canada. The nucleus group in Ontario, led by David DuBois, a well-known environmental professional in Ontario, will be expanded to include others from across Canada.

CBN already provides strategic guidance in support of brownfield redevelopment in Canada-the national network has been supporting the restoration of brownfield sites and promoting the interests of brownfield practitioners since its launch in 2004. CBN has had a bird’s-eye view of the industry, watching as technical issues repeatedly act as barriers to redevelopment-and helping promote localized solutions where possible.

Now, with the creation of a new technical committee, the CBN aims to provide a national forum to find and promote Canadian-made solutions across the Canadian brownfield community by identifying and addressing these barriers. The CBNTC will provide the objectivity that has been missing, helping to find solutions to existing constraints such as management of excess materials; soil vapour intrusion and modelling; preferred environmental control measures; and the selection of remediation technologies. It will identify sustainable, credible and pragmatic solutions in support of remediation.

Once formed, the CBNTC will showcase solutions proven across Canada and-in an open forum-present best practices for discussion and consideration.

The CBNTC will start pulling together its team based on nominations. The goal is to bring together professionals from most major regions across Canada. The 8 to 12 members of the CBNTC will form the base of a broad network of professionals reaching out through online mediums, like a CBN blog.

The eventual goal-what will make this a unique endeavour-is to dismantle the other less tangible barriers to remediation such as a lack of consumer confidence. The CBNTC will make its list of best practices available to the industry through an accessible online network. It will also reach out to the public to foster a better understanding of brownfield issues-maybe even triggering a growth in consumer confidence for the use of brownfields as a safe, sustainable, nonrenewable

resource.

Want to nominate someone to the CBN technical committee? Nominees should be recognized as experts in their area. Contact info@canadianbrownfieldsnetwork.ca

CBNTC’s FIRT CASE:

In several jurisdictions, impaired soils excavated are considered waste and sent to landfill-but this is not a sustainable option. It has a high carbon footprint, consumes replacement aggregate resources and, for some inner cities, can cause traffic congestion, accidents and damage to road infrastructure. As

landfill tipping fees increase, and the environmental costs of transporting soil are felt, these regulations need to be reexamined with a perspective focused on balancing cost with closure. The CBNTC will do a jurisdictional review of soil handling practices and policies for a sampling of Canadian, American and European jurisdictions.

Potentially funded by sponsors from the willing pool of operators, developers and contractors, the study will create a list of best practices in Canada and internationally.

Once that study is complete, the committee will move on to the next development constraint-soil vapour simulation and measurement, and soil treatment technologies are just two potential areas of focus.

This article appears in our May-June 2009 Issue