A preliminary hearing gets underway in Belleville next week related to the provincial government’s order, to the city and some other parties, to cleanup the coal tar site at the city’s harbourfront.
Belleville, along with some other owners and former owners of the former coal tar site, have appealed the Ministry of Environment order.
All parties submitted a cleanup plan, as ordered, but some are appealing because the ministry has not allocated percentage of responsibility among the eight owners and former owners.
They appealed to the Independent Environmental Review Tribunal and the preliminary hearing opens on Monday at the Quinte Sports and Wellness Centre.
Belleville Mayor Taso Christopher said recently the appeal’s goal is to force the province to make a decision on how the costs of the cleanup will be shared among the various owners and former owners.
The order includes Belleville, 105 Pinnacle Limited, Kent D. Hawkins, Darlene Hawkins, Anthony J. McGarvey, 835267 Ontario Inc. Naomi Spiegel and Sidney Spiegel.
The site is contaminated from a long-gone coal gasification plant which began operating in the 1800s in Belleville’s harbour area.
