As part of a plan to revitalize the community's waterfront, the Squamish Oceanfront Development Corp. did soil and groundwater tests to see whether an old warehouse known as the Blue Barn could be used as an art, culture and heritage centre.
The warehouse, built in 1965 and most recently used as a site to treat mercury-contaminated groundwater, had been cleaned up and emptied of its chemical tanks and other water-treating equipment. The tests were done to see whether that cleanup made the building unsafe for use by polluting soil and groundwater under and around it.
Results revealed some minor contamination, but not enough to stop the Blue Barn's redevelopment as a jewel in what the district sees as a sparkling waterfront commercial and cultural area.
Results
Environmental
Economic
Social
Containing minor contamination near the Blue Barn will prevent risk to the environment and human health
Cleanup and reuse of a contaminated brownfield site
Blue Barn arts centre would encourage redevelopment of a derelict industrial district
Project would diversify the local economy, add jobs, attract tourists
Blue Barn would provide space for the arts community, fostering cultural growth
Centrepiece of a waterfront community where people work, learn, live and play
Challenges
Tight funding deadlines.
High cost of brownfield remediation.
Re-deploying staff for the time-consuming work of applying for funding and reporting on results.
Lessons learned
Be prepared for tight funding deadlines that can disrupt previously established project work schedules.
Despite their costs, remediation projects are worth the money. They trigger major economic redevelopment.
Set aside ample time to gather documents, write applications and prepare reports essential to the funding process.
Heather Dunham
Manager, Squamish Oceanfront Development Corp.
District of Squamish, BC
T. 604-815-5075
Want to explore all GMF-funded projects? Check out the Projects Database for a complete overview of funded projects and get inspired by municipalities of all sizes, across Canada.
City of Guelph Residential Grey water Reuse Feasibility Study
To find further ways to conserve its finite groundwater resources, the City of Guelph studied a residential greywater reuse system that flushes residential toilets with water from showers and baths.
In the field test, 25 homeowners installed grey water recycling systems. Water quality, water consumption and energy usage were monitored for up to two years. While the overall satisfaction with the systems was high, many homeowners did not like cleaning the filters and grey water quality did not always meet Health Canada standards.
Flushing toilets with grey water can reduce household water use by up to 30 percent. But with decades-long payback periods, these systems are not financially attractive to homeowners. Ironically, the presence of water-efficient fixtures in the home further reduces the savings possible from grey water systems.
The city is working to improve residential grey water reuse technologies and encouraging industry to continue to adopt water reuse technologies.
Results
Environmental
Economic
Social
Saving 16.6 L of water L per person per day
Making more sustainable use of the groundwater supply
Reducing effluent going into the Speed River
Saving from reduced demand for treatment of water for household use
Saving from reduced volume of wastewater to be processed
Homeowners reported high satisfaction with the systems and few concerns about the safety of grey water
Challenges
Water savings were difficult to calculate, because some households did not produce enough grey water for toilet flushing and had to use varying amounts of potable water.
This dilution of the grey water by potable water affected samples.
Homeowners must be committed to the regular maintenance of the system.
Some homeowners find the colour and smell of grey water displeasing.
Lessons learned
Provide more training on the use and maintenance of the system to field test participants.
Develop a support network through education of tradespeople and contractors.
Provide rebates and other incentives to get residents to invest in these systems.
Wayne Galliher
Water Conservation Project Manager
City of Guelph, ON
T. 519-822-1260, ext. 2106
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Cleaning up contaminants and redeveloping a brownfield site can bring communities a number of environmental, economic and social benefits. You can achieve even greater benefits by incorporating sustainable approaches throughout the site remediation and risk management activities.
Environmental benefits
Lower risk of soil, surface water and groundwater contamination
Fewer GHGs through decreased urban sprawl and commuting
Less or no waste
Energy savings
Protected ecosystem and habitat
Economic benefits
New development opportunities
Job creation
Increased property values
Higher tax revenues
Lower energy costs
Lower water costs
Lower landfill disposal costs
Reduced landfill space
Social benefits
Revitalized neighbourhoods
More public space
Improved public health and safety
Job creation
Benefits at all stages: reap the rewards
Project Stage
Activities
Environmental Benefits
Economic Benefits
Social Benefits
Planning
Develop a water conservation plan
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Develop a waste minimization or recycling plan
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Implement idling restrictions on vehicles and construction equipment
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Consider interim uses for sites that will be under-used for extended periods (e.g. community gardens, solar panels)
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Site Assessment
Seek community involvement to increase public awareness and acceptance.
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Use passive sampling devices.
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Use on-site analytical techniques.
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Use telemetry or remote data collection.
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Remediation/Risk management
Sequence work to minimize handling materials twice.
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Reduce excavation and off-site disposal.
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Consider technologies that destroy contaminants without creating waste or additional contamination.
Use energy-efficient equipment and optimize equipment performance
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Incorporate renewable energy sources, such as wind or solar, into treatment systems.
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Use construction equipment with enhanced emission controls.
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Examples
Remediation of Strathcona Shooting Range, City of Edmonton, AB
With its growing population and a related demand for recreational facilities, the City of Edmonton decided to convert the Strathcona Shooting Range to a multi-use sports and recreational facility. By using a sustainable approach, testing for lead and other contaminants was carried out on-site, rather than in a laboratory, and soil was excavated at the same time as when the on-site soil analysis took place. This project received support from FCM's Green Municipal Fund, and was completed for less than half the original $9 million estimate to remove lead and other soil contaminants.
Environmental benefits
Eliminated further contamination from shooting activities
Reduced soil handling and less soil excavated.
Economic benefits
No need to convert other valuable land into sports fields.
Reduced transportation of analytical samples and limited laboratory costs.
Selective excavation of soil known to be contaminated.
Social benefits
A much-needed recreational and sport field space for the community.
New Town Hall, Town of the Blue Mountains, ON
When the Town of the Blue Mountains found itself with too little space to meet its administrative needs, it chose to build a new town hall on a brownfield site. The town avoided moving contaminated soil to landfill by using an on-site bioremediation process to break down the contaminants and by using the remediated material as a landfill cap. Geothermal wells were installed in areas where soil would be excavated. This project received support from FCM's Green Municipal Fund.
Environmental benefits
Reduced soil excavation
Eliminated contamination rather than disposed of contaminated soi.
Economic benefits
Less labour and excavation time
Reduced landfill fees and extended landfill life.Selective excavation of soil known to be contaminated
No need to use valuable materials for covers
Social benefits
Reduced health risk due to less handling of contaminated soil
Landfill transformed to residential land, City of St. Catharines, ON
The City of St. Catharines used a series of sustainable approaches to convert a former landfill into a residential area. The project was Ontario's first large-scale initiative of its kind. The municipality gained 3.5 acres of new residential lands, and increased available housing and tax revenues. This project was a finalist in the Sustainable Remediation Technologies and Technological Innovation category for the 2009 Canadian Urban Institute's Brownie Awards.
Environmental benefits
Soil contaminated with petroleum bioremediated on-site.
Metal and tires from the landfill were recycled and other waste material was reused as golf course fill
Economic benefits
Sustainable approach to remediation diverted waste from landfill
Redevelopment into residential area increased tax revenue
Social benefits
Landfill site was redeveloped as residential property.
Want to know more?
See these websites for more information on sustainable remediation and risk management metrics:
To cut pollution threatening fish and groundwater, the Municipality of the District of Argyle updated sewage-treatment facilities in the seaside village of West Pubnico with screens and ultraviolet light that disinfects effluent before releasing it into Lobster Bay.
The upgrades will allow the municipality to expand its sewer system to homes with septic tanks - a move that had been delayed because the 30-year-old plant's chlorine-disinfection chambers could no longer consistently clean wastewater to comply with anti-pollution standards.
The improvements clear the way for more sewer lines, reducing the risk that groundwater contamination from septic tanks will make drinking water unsafe. Plant updates include a wastewater heating system that will lower plant energy costs, as well as a sludge-drying process that will make sewage solids less costly to truck away.
Results
Environmental
Economic
Social
400,000 litres of ocean-bound effluent disinfected each day
Wastewater heat-exchange system cuts energy consumption, GHG emissions
$50,000 annual saving in sludge trucking costs
Lower energy costs thanks to heat exchanger
Lower maintenance costs with new system
Plant will accommodate more sewage, cutting need for homeowner septic tanks
Retrofit protects a fishery that residents depend on for their livelihood
Challenges
Finding a way to lower high sludge-disposal costs.
Meeting provincial disinfectant standards for ocean-discharged wastewater.
Keeping the ocean free of sewage that would endanger fishing and processing jobs.
Lessons learned
Conduct rigorous evaluations to prevent equipment cost surprises.
Be prepared to eliminate less-essential project features to stay within budget.
Using sewer wastewater for heat can cut costs and may align with eligibility criteria for green infrastructure grants.
Want to explore all GMF-funded projects? Check out the Projects Database for a complete overview of funded projects and get inspired by municipalities of all sizes, across Canada.
The rapidly growing City of Cranbrook has upgraded its wastewater systems to improve effluent quality, reduce operating costs, cut GHG emissions and allow for population growth over the next 20 years.
Cranbrook's current wastewater treatment system, which was cutting-edge when it was built more than 40 years ago, uses reclaimed water to irrigate agricultural lands, boosting the local economy. Building on that legacy, the upgrades include a new storage pond, and aeration and disinfecting equipment that that treat sewage with natural biochemical processes. Reclaimed water from the improved system exceeds health and safety standards and can be used to irrigate recreational as well as agricultural lands.
Restoring and upgrading Cranbrook's existing facility has created a showpiece for efficient wastewater management. The upgraded system produces lower GHG emissions, uses less power and has significantly lower operating costs.
Cranbook's wastewater improvement project was the 2012 FCM Sustainable Communities Awards winner for water.
Results
Environmental
Economic
Social
Annual GHG emissions have been reduced by 75% for lagoons and 54% for storage ponds
Treated wastewater has fewer suspended solids and less phosphorous, coliform and residual chlorine
Operating costs, including power consumption, have been reduced by 42 % annually
Reclaiming water for irrigation reduces demand for potable water and boosts local agriculture.
Upgrade provides capacity for at least 20 years of population growth
1,000 ha water treatment site has become a recreational area and provides habitat for many wildlife species
Challenges
Engaging the entire community in the project was a challenge. Council emphasised building relationships within the community and surrounding area and with stakeholders including provincial agencies and local First Nations.
Lessons learned
Ensure that you have clear lines of communications between regulators, designers, staff, contractors and stakeholders.
Hold monthly meetings with regulators to ensure compliance with legal and regulatory requirements.
Think long term and go beyond conventional and accepted solutions.
Want to explore all GMF-funded projects? Check out the Projects Database for a complete overview of funded projects and get inspired by municipalities of all sizes, across Canada.
Any technique that remediates or manages the risk of contamination at a site has an environmental benefit as it eliminates or reduces exposure to contaminants. Some techniques, however, are more sustainable than others. You can make a technique more sustainable by applying it in a way that conserves energy, fuel or water; reduces GHGs or other emissions; or minimizes or recycles waste.
The guiding principles for sustainable site remediation and risk management are:
Treat as much soil as possible on-site and preferably in-situ.
Use techniques that are energy-efficient, produce minimal chemical and greenhouse gas emissions and incorporate renewable energy.
Minimize water use and recycle water whenever and wherever possible.
Relative sustainability of contamination management options
The techniques in this table are listed from most to least sustainable.
Contamination management technique
Description
Sustainability factors
Risk management approaches
Risk management approaches reduce exposure to contamination through:
administrative controls, such as restricting the use of or access to the site through zoning
physical barriers, such as ground covers (e.g. asphalt) to prevent exposure to contaminants or in-situ barriers to contain contaminated groundwater
A detailed risk assessment is required to show that a risk management approach will provide the same protection to human health and the environment as remediation.
Compared to remediation, risk management approaches typically:
use less energy
create less waste
generate fewer emissions
These approaches can be the most sustainable method of managing contamination.
Remediation approaches - in situ
Because in-situ remediation techniques are applied in the ground, there is no need to excavate soil or pump groundwater.
Common in-situ techniques include bioremediation, vapour extraction and chemical oxidation.
Compared to remediation techniques that require soil excavation or groundwater pumping, in-situ remediation techniques typically:
use less energy
create less waste
generate fewer emissions
If you choose an in-situ technique, you can use specific sustainable approaches to reduce the environmental impact.
Remediation approaches - ex-situ
Ex-situ remediation techniques involve either or both of these options:
Pumping groundwater from the ground and treating it above ground.
Excavating contaminated soil and either treating it on site or sending it off site for treatment or disposal.
If you determine that an ex-situ technique is most feasible, you can use specific sustainable approaches to reduce the environmental impact.
Want to know more?
See these resources on sustainable remediation and risk management techniques:
Framework for Integrating Sustainability into Remediation Projects,
U.S. Sustainable Remediation Forum
The City of Campbell River studied the feasibility of using tidal energy to generate electricity. It hoped to install a small demonstration turbine at the municipal pier.
While currents were fast farther out in the Discovery Passage, the study found they were only moderate at the pier. The turbine output would be small and would not justify the cost of connecting to the grid. The site would, however, be a good one for a research and demonstration project. It would promote a clean, renewable energy source and attract companies developing the technology to the city. It would be a first step toward positioning the city as a tidal power pioneer.
Results
Environmental
Economic
Social
Developing clean, renewable sources of electricity reduces GHGs and our reliance on fossil fuels
A research and demonstration project would attract manufacturing companies to the city to develop and test turbines
A demonstration turbine would educate people about how tidal power works
A turbine at the pier would allow people to see it in action
Challenges
There are only few tidal turbines in operation worldwide, so the choices of technology were limited.
Winter storms delayed the measurements of tidal currents.
Wave analysis, initially not part of the study, had to be added when it was discovered that high waves occur regularly at the pier. Extreme waves can damage tidal turbines.
Lessons learned
It is a good idea to start looking for industrial partners early in the process.
Make sure you have qualified marine-energy scientists involved.
The feasibility study has proven an important resource in helping the city map out its next steps on tidal power.
Amber Zirnhelt
Sustainability Manager
City of Campbell River, BC
T. 250-286-5742
Want to explore all GMF-funded projects? Check out the Projects Database for a complete overview of funded projects and get inspired by municipalities of all sizes, across Canada.
The City of North Vancouver, BC, built a district energy system (DES) to heat buildings in a major redevelopment of its waterfront area.
The DES uses small heating plants scattered through the area, rather than one central plant. The gas-fired boilers circulate hot water underground to buildings connected to the system. The energy-efficient boilers provide customers with cleaner, cheaper heat than the electric baseboard heaters commonly used in British Columbia.
Using smaller plants allows the system to grow in steps as new customers sign on. Run by a municipality-owned utility, the system also taps solar and other renewable energy sources and reduces greenhouse gas emissions.
Results
Environmental
Economic
Social
Reduces greenhouse gas emissions compared to electric baseboard heating
Allows replacement of fossil fuels with solar and geothermal energy
Reduces heating costs by an estimated 22 per cent per year
Allows staggering of capital expenditures on generating plants as area is developed
Improves energy security by diversifying sources
Educates public on sustainability
Challenges
Overcoming the perception in parts of the community that district heating is more, not less, costly
Engineering and building the system in North Vancouver's steeply sloped terrain
Arranging training in another municipality for city construction crews with no DES experience in
Lessons learned
Make sure developers equip new buildings so they may be connected to the district heating system.
Include an experienced installation contractor in the design process.
Do not embark on a district energy project without the city council support.
Want to explore all GMF-funded projects? Check out the Projects Database for a complete overview of funded projects and get inspired by municipalities of all sizes, across Canada.
The City of Delta's new Community Energy and Emissions Plan (CEEP) is a long-term strategy for sustainable development. The plan will help the city reduce its energy costs and vulnerability to energy markets, mitigate climate change, improve air quality, encourage alternative transportation choices, and create new jobs and business opportunities.
The plan identifies 37 areas for action and lays out a 25-year timetable for the city to achieve its sustainability goals. The goals include developing compact neighbourhoods, reducing vehicle travel, increasing renewable energy use, and improving waste management. The plan will also provide the framework to promote healthy and affordable homes and help businesses make the transition to a low-carbon economy.
Results
Environmental
Economic
Social
21% reduction from 2007 per capita electrical use levels by 2040
31% reduction in overall per capita energy use from 2007 levels by 2040
12% reduction from 2007 GHG emission levels by 2040
Increase capture and re-use of waste heat and use of renewable energy
Reduce vehicular travel and provide opportunities for low-carbon mobility
Reuse, recycle and recover more materials from solid waste
Increase density in urban nodes with the potential to develop district energy systems
Develop compact neighbourhoods with reduced energy consumption
Promote efficient, healthy, affordable homes
Results
Challenges
Two key members left the consulting firm while Delta's CEEP project was underway. City staff had to adapt quickly and work closely with the remaining consultant to complete the project.
Lessons learned
Assign a dedicated staff member as a liaison between consultants and the city's senior management and staff.
Go beyond climate change when framing the plan: issues of resilience, cost savings, liveability, health and affordability all resonated with Delta's stakeholders and staff.
Facilitated workshops with members of the community are exceptional tools for eliciting ideas and developing buy-in.
Want to explore all GMF-funded projects? Check out the Projects Database for a complete overview of funded projects and get inspired by municipalities of all sizes, across Canada.
The City of Pitt Meadows developed two complementary plans to guide the municipality in reducing energy consumption and greenhouse gas emissions. One plan addresses emissions from municipal operations; the other covers emissions from community properties and activities.
The measures in the plan for municipal operations focus on city buildings, the city fleet, water and wastewater, and solid waste. The community plan is broader in scope, addressing issues related to land use, urban design, transportation planning, as well as emissions from residential, commercial and industrial properties and solid waste. Reduction measures include things like promoting energy-efficiency in buildings, encouraging waste heat recovery in industrial facilities, launching a zero-waste challenge, and increasing transit ridership.
The plans will help the city balance growth with protection of the environment.
Results
Environmental
Economic
Social
Corporate plan measures would cut GHG emissions by 32%
Community plan measures would cut GHG emissions by 13%
Reducing energy consumption in city-owned buildings and operations will provide savings on energy costs
Increased transit ridership will lead to savings on transportation infrastructure
Greater public awareness of sustainability
Smart growth that is transit- and pedestrian-friendly and supports healthier lifestyles
Challenges
Balancing future development and planning challenges in a small but growing municipality.
Carrying out preparation of the plans within a limited budget.
Completing the process in a reasonable amount of time.
Lessons learned
To successfully develop an energy plan, community engagement should be fostered and sustained - which takes preparation and resources.
Be patient and realistic with expectations, and listen to community members.
Make sure consultants have relevant experience and keep them on track with frequent update meetings.
Laurie Darcus
Director of Corporate Services
City of Pitt Meadows, BC
T. 604-465-2433
Want to explore all GMF-funded projects? Check out the Projects Database for a complete overview of funded projects and get inspired by municipalities of all sizes, across Canada.
