Coal tar contamination area in Belleville’s Foster ward. (File photo: John Spitters/Quinte News)
A consultant’s report on work undertaken in Belleville’s Foster Ward, regarding the coal tar contamination, will soon be presented to all parties involved in the cleanup order, including the City of Belleville.
The Environmental Review Tribunal held its latest hearing on the issue on Thursday.
A Ministry of Environment order, issued two years ago, calls on the owners and former owners of the area to prepare a work plan for cleanup of the contamination caused by a former gas plant, naming the City of Belleville, Sid Speigel and Hawkins Cheezies and others.
One major issue is the cost-sharing.
Over the past several months, the consulting firm Golder Associates undertook the work plan project involving soil vapor assessment, soil sampling, bore hole drilling and assessment of the results.
There was also a public consultation survey of residents in the area.
Belleville’s lawyer for the Environmental Review Tribunal hearings, Harry Dahme. (File photo: Mary Thomas/Quinte News)
Belleville’s lawyer Harry Dahme told the Tribunal hearing Thursday the report will be provided to the Ministry of Environment and all parties in July.
There are two work plans – one for the east and west portions, another for the immediate and greater area.
Dahme says there will be a “full discussion on the report.”
The idea is to decide whether the work is in compliance with the order, and whether or not everyone is “content with the conclusions and recommendations made by Golders Associates”.
All parties will get to study the report and will continue meeting with the mediator Alan Levy.
Tribunal hearing Chair Justin Duncan said it sounded like a “reasonable approach” to him.
Lawyers for other parties were present at the Thursday hearing, as well as Tribunal member Robert Wright.
In 2015, eight parties were ordered by the Ministry of Environment to clean up the site where a coal gasification plant had operated in the 1800s.
The provincial order includes Belleville, 105 Pinnacle Limited, Kent D. Hawkins, Darlene Hawkins, Anthony J. McGarvey, 835267 Ontario Inc., Naomi Spiegel and Sidney Spiegel.
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