the Portico
“Our mission is to enhance the relationship between the University and its alumni and friends and promoted pride and commitment within the University Community.”Brownfields Get a New Lease on Life
It’s a dirty job, but someone has to clean up brownfields. Land that was once used for industrial purposes may look like any other land, but looks can be deceiving. The land may not be safe enough for future developments because of what lies beneath the surface. Contaminated soil or groundwater may pose a threat to human health and the environment. As a senior toxicologist at Dillon Consulting, it’s Bryan Leece’s job to ensure brownfields are safe.
“It’s a multi-stage process,” says Leece, B.Sc. ’81. “The first component is site investigation to find out exactly what’s there. You usually base that on what you know about the property and the kinds of industrial activities that have gone on there so you have some idea of what to look for.”
When the results of the site investigation are ready, they are compared to provincial and federal regulatory standards. If the level of contaminants exceeds the limit, the next step is to decide what needs to be done. One option is to remove the contaminated soil and replace it with soil that meets environmental standards. Another option is to conduct a human and environmental risk assessment to determine what, if any, level of remediation is required.
“The object of the remediation is to focus on what absolutely has to be done to provide human and ecological protection,” says Leece.
The future use of the land also determines the extent to which it needs to be cleaned.
“Residential properties typically need to be cleaner than commercial or industrial properties because you’re making the assumption that you have people there around the clock over a lifetime,” he says. Since residential land may be used for fruit or vegetable gardens, contaminant concentrations in the soil need to be below the levels where accumulation in produce could affect human health.
“Getting the land back to productive use is really where the satisfaction comes from.”
BY SUSAN BUBAK
