Game of Zones: Remediation through Bulk Excavation and Risk Assessment at a Former Sawmill Operation on Kwantlen FN Lands

The Site is highly valued by the Kwantlen First Nation (Kwantlen). It was traditionally used by ancestors of the Kwantlen people and is regarded as an important area for future generations. It was an honour to be part of this project.

The Site is adjacent to the Fraser River. Historical activities that include filling and two separate sawmill operations resulted in widespread contamination. In 2015, the most recent sawmill operation burned down. This initiated completion of an extensive investigation and remedial program which has brought the Site into compliance with federal and provincial criteria. Indigenous Services Canada (ISC) funded the work as part of a move to return governance back to Kwantlen.

Following the fire, Kwantlen engaged PGL to conduct a detailed environmental investigation and develop remedial options for the Site. Kwantlen adopted a remedial option that involved excavation with offsite disposal and risk assessment. Milestone Environmental in partnership with Seyem’ Qwantlen Business Group, was contracted to conduct the excavation component of this plan. Along with remediation, repair of a failing slope and removal of infrastructure both instream and along the shoreline was completed. The result was that the land was returned to the Kwantlen in usable form for the first time in over three decades.

The project brought some challenges. Working as a team, these challenges were managed such that project objectives were not compromised. Some of these were:

1) Weather - Heavy rain and snow required quick implementation of water management and erosion control. Weather and a poorly constructed retaining structure also affected the stability of a slope that formed part of the Fraser River bank. Short term solutions were required for Site health and safety. Longer term solutions were required to prevent a landslide.
2) Permitting – River bank and instream work required permits. At the time of applying, permitting timelines were taking much longer than advertised by the regulator. This affected the project timeline significantly, pushing the work into the wet winter season.
3) Multiple project stake holders – Kwantlen was the Site owner and ISC was the funding agency, PGL provided environmental consulting services, and Seyem Qwantlen / Milestone partnership undertook the onsite remediation. Clear communications and balancing the goals of each stakeholder was essential to keep the project moving forward.
4) Cultural Significance: all work was undertaken while maintaining, and respecting, the sites cultural significance to Kwantlen

Michelle Ashley, B.Sc., R.P. Bio. (PGL Environmental Consultants): Project Manager and Environmental Risk Assessor with 14 years of experience. Experienced with numerous types of contaminated sites throughout BC, Ontario, Nunavut, and the Yukon. Projects have included First Nation Reserves, sawmills, industrial, commercial and residential developments, mines, water lots, and wilderness areas.
John Clarke, B.Sc. Hons., P.Eng., (Milestone Environmental Contracting): Senior project manager with over 25 years in environmental engineering. John has experience in a broad range of remedial technologies including soil stabilization, PRB wall installation, remedial plan development and implementation, and design build. He has an Honours B.Sc. from Memorial Newfoundland, Engineering from McGill, and Project Management certificate from Royal Roads.

The Federal Contaminated Sites Action Plan (FCSAP) Phase III is in the last year of its program and the renewal of FCSAP Phase IV is currently underway with Memorandum of Cabinet (MC) approval and pending Treasury Board (TB) Submission. This presentation will provide an overview of the achievements to date, future needs, future program, PSPC role and next steps. In addition, an overview of the services provided by Environmental Services will be presented and a status update of the various contracting tools to be used to implement the work for Phase III and the future Phase IV.

Mr. Raman Birk is the Regional Manager of Environmental Services with Public Services and Procurement Canada (PSPC) in Vancouver, BC. He holds a Bachelor of Science in Biochemistry/ Microbiology from the University of Victoria and a Masters of Environmental Science from the University of Alberta, Department of Civil Engineering. Raman has worked in the private sector in environmental industry for 12 years and with the federal government (Transport Canada and PSPC) for 21 years. Raman was the Manager of Contaminated Sites for 12 years before becoming the Regional Manager of Environmental Services in December of 2015. Raman has extensive experience in the field of contaminated sites assessment, remediation, project management and procurement.

On-Site Water Treatment with Naturally-Sourced Chemistry

Environmental impacts of particulate contamination. Stormwater, process water, and groundwater pick up sediments and particulate contamination while flowing through the built environment or in remediation processes prior to returning to natural waterways. Particulate contamination negatively impacts the watershed and the life cycles of flora, invertebrates and fish by physical and chemical processes.
Science of particles in water and how to leverage water treatment. Particles are described by a few characteristics, including volume, effect, size, and electrostatic charge. Using the nature of particles to select BMPs and how to introduce coagulation and flocculation reactions to increase the capture of particulate contamination. The physical and chemical mechanisms of coagulation and flocculation will be explained, with a focus on helping sites increase compliance, operational uptime, and the useful life of BMPs and treatment equipment.
Four layers of safety in using naturally-source water treatment chemistry. Review of water treatment techniques in passive, semi-passive, and active treatment systems using naturally-sourced water treatment chemistry, such as chitosan, starches, and other biopolymers. To ensure watershed health, these chemistries offer four layers of safety - minimum effective dose, solids capture, chemical traceability, and inherently low toxicity. Each safety layer will be reviewed in the context of environmental remediation and stormwater applications.

Eric Bradley is the Product Line Manager for Dober Chemical, the premier provider of naturally-sourced water treatment chemistries for environmental remediation, stormwater treatment, oil and gas process water, and industrial wastewater. Eric has over 7 years of experience designing and managing water treatment projects across North America. He is focused on leveraging and developing natural chemistries to meet the increasing technical and regulatory demands of the environmental industry. In his spare time, he likes to hike, kayak, and camp around the Cascade Mountains.

The Ever-Changing Environmental Assessment
Environmental assessments, or EAs, are one of the most widely used environmental management tools in the natural resource sector – they entail an extensive process for identifying, evaluating and mitigating the biophysical, social and other effects of a proposed activity before any subsequent approvals may be issued. As such, EAs play a critical gatekeeper role, while also providing important opportunities for Indigenous Nations, government departments, stakeholders and other members of the public to engage in the review of potential effects of a project before any decisions to proceed with development are made.

Although EAs have now been in use in Canada for several decades, the process, and even the subsequent approvals (where granted), are far from static.

From a regulatory standpoint, both provincial and federal draft legislation is currently undergoing review to revamp the corresponding regimes – each bill introduces several novel provisions aimed at “modernizing” the overall regulatory scheme. This presentation will provide an overview of some of these key approaches, along with insight into concurrent advancements in collaborative decision-making between EA regulators – such as the BC Environmental Assessment Office and the Canadian
Environmental Assessment Agency (soon to be the Impact Assessment Agency of Canada) – and impacted Indigenous Nations.

Another area in which there may be changes with EAs pertains to changes to the proposed project, after an EA approval / certificate has been issued. This presentation will therefore also provide an overview of some of the challenges that this raises, including those caused by the frequent repeal and replacement of federal EA legislation since the turn of the century.

Dr Kevin Butterworth is the Executive Director of the Environmental Emergencies and Land Remediation Branch at the Ministry of Environment and Climate Change Strategy. The Branch is responsible for the design, development, implementation and evaluation of a wide array of pollution prevention and remediation activities throughout British Columbia to fulfill its goal of preventing pollution at source and remediating where necessary. The branch takes a leadership approach by using a combination of tools such as legislation, regulation, environmental management systems, market based instruments, guidelines and standards, education, planning processes and a unique contaminated site remediation system.

Prior to this Kevin was the Executive Director of the Technology and Innovation Branch at the BC Ministry of Jobs, Trade and Technology, which coordinated and supported research and commercialization in the tech sector across B.C., and enabled information sharing between the province, industry, federal and other jurisdictions.

Kevin joined the Province in June 2012 from the private sector where he was Principal Consultant at Torran Consulting, which specialised in sustainable economic development in the marine environment. As a consultant, Kevin worked primarily with First Nations, the Federal and Provincial governments, the pharmaceutical industry and the aquaculture industry. Prior to that he developed partnerships between the academic sphere and coastal communities including First Nations and industry as Director of Marine Research at the British Columbia Centre for Environmental Research.

His academic background includes a Joint Honours B.Sc. in Biochemistry and Marine Biology from the University of Wales, Bangor and a Ph.D. from the University of Glasgow, Scotland, and the Heinrich-Heine Universität, Düsseldorf, Germany. He subsequently spent a number of years at the Centre for Aquaculture and Environmental Research at the University of British Columbia in Vancouver as a Research Associate. He was a Fellow of AquaNet, a Canadian Centre of Excellence in Aquaculture.

Development of Regional Scale Background Trace Element Concentrations and Application to Sites on the Alaska Highway, Northern BC.
The Alaska Highway is located in Northern BC and is under federal custodianship. Eventually, the highway and associated properties may be returned to provincial jurisdiction. Environmental liability reduction has historically been focused on identified anthropogenic sources, particularly for petroleum hydrocarbon contaminants. ‘Metals’ as a generic potential contaminant of concern has been included in preliminary assessments of sites with evidence of historical anthropogenic activities both at potential source areas and as a general site coverage parameter. This has resulted in regulatory exceedances for several trace elements (TE) that have no recognized sources at the sites. Some TE present in soil and groundwater have exceeded applicable federal and provincial numerical screening criteria. Occurrences of exceedances appear to be irregular between sites over wide areas, leading to an assumption that they represent natural conditions. Both federal and provincial approaches to contaminated sites provide for local assessment of background conditions.
Analytical data has been collected over almost two decades at federal properties on the BC portion of the highway, resulting is a robust database of TE concentrations. This data provides an opportunity to develop background concentrations that can be compared to TE concentrations from specfic sites. Variation in the data was driven more by site rather than any other potential variable tested and once site-specific 95th percentiles were calculated, it was determined that geography was the best predictor of TE concentrations. The data was separated into three regions based on similar criteria as outlined in federal guidance (draft FCSAP Module 5).
In addition to comparison of site data to regional upper 95th percentile concentrations for each region, screening of exceedances above regional background are assessed by enrichment screening. These results, with additional supporting data such as local geology and generally known TE occurrences, are used to construct scientifically defensible arguments for either natural or anthropogenic origin on a sample specific basis.

Mr. William CullochDasson has almost 30 years experience in contaminated sites in British Columbia, Alberta, and the Northwestern United States. He has conducted assessments and remedial programs at both downstream and upstream petroleum hydrocarbon facilities and other commercial and industrial sites, including the award-winning Rock Bay Remediation Project in Victoria.

Arthur DeJong
Arthur DeJong has been with Whistler Blackcomb for 39 years. Through various roles including Ski Patrol Manager and Mountain Operations Manager for Blackcomb, Arthur has gained an exceptional familiarity with our mountain terrain and a deep understanding of the workings of the mountain ecosystem.
Arthur pioneered work in the area of environmental planning on Whistler Blackcomb which has led him to his current position of Sr. Manager of Planning. In this role, Arthur works to marry planning techniques that both improve the guest experience and respect the natural environment.
Arthur has been an active member of the Whistler community for many years and believes that the key to effective planning is openness and community involvement. Arthur is currently on city council. He also dedicates volunteer time to crisis line counseling and international aid programs.

Determining the Applicability of CSR AW Standards in a Tidally Influenced Environment

Determining the applicability of the BC Contaminated Sites Regulation (CSR) aquatic life (AW) standards in a tidally influenced environment is challenging. Hemmera faced this challenge for the future Middle Arm Waterfront Park (MAWP), a tidally influenced estuarine environment on River Road in the City of Richmond, BC. The middle arm of the Fraser River, a major aquatic habitat, lies less than 50 m north of the MAWP. In Ministry of Environment and Climate Change Strategy (ENV) Technical Guidance 8: Groundwater Investigation and Characterization (TG8), there is a reference for determining groundwater flow direction in a tidal environment, which is the first critical determinant of AW applicability.
Initially, Hemmera worked on one small contaminated parcel within the MAWP. We inputted transducer data from the shallow unconfined aquifer into the US Environmental Protection Agency 3PE tool; this tool used a weighted average of individual flow directions from 15-minute time steps to calculate the net flow direction, which was determined to be parallel to or away from the river. Net groundwater flow direction feeds into the criteria in ENV Protocol 21: Water Use Determination. We determined there were no aquatic receiving environments within 500 m of the site in the direction of net groundwater flow and there were no preferential pathways connecting site groundwater to the Fraser River. Based on these results and the criteria in ENV Protocol 21, we determined that AW standards do not apply to this site.
We made a Certificate of Compliance submission for the site, and ENV requested a Water Use Determination (WUD) application. For the WUD application, Hemmera took a lines-of-evidence approach that considered net groundwater flow direction, salt-water intrusion, plume migration path, and preferential flow pathways. In reviewing our application, ENV concluded that we had insufficient data to find that AW standards did not apply. A key lesson we learned about applying for a WUD is that to satisfy ENV’s requirements regarding net groundwater flow directions, one must evaluate groundwater flow at a regional scale (not on one small site), especially in a low-hydraulic-gradient, pumped environment like Richmond. The most conservative approach is to apply AW standards, and given the complexity of groundwater flow in an estuarine and tidal environment and the status of the Fraser River as a significant aquatic habitat resource, this is the approach that ENV will most readily accept.

Karey Dow is a senior project manager and business leader with 18+ years of experience in contaminated sites environmental consulting in BC. Karey has provided management, leadership, mentorship, and technical expertise on thousands of projects .

Warren Mills is an Environmental Coordinator at the City of Richmond with 12+ years of experience in environmental management and contaminated sites investigation and remediation in BC. In his current role, Warren is providing environmental services in the fields of land acquisition environmental liability assessments, spill response, land remediation and pollution prevention.

Indigenous - Industry Relations, from Good to Great

Lana Eagle, Independent Advisor to the Mining Industry & Christine Creyke, Lands Director, Tahltan Central Government

The presentation will discuss key aspects of initiating a relationship between an Indigenous community or business and industry, and the effective maturing of the relationship. The discussion will highlight how First Nation communities and industry can work together, focusing on facilitating partnerships and helping organizations fulfill agreements, especially to create and support economic development strategies, and address skills and employment challenges.

Lana Eagle, Independent Advisor to the Mining Industry

Lana is a member of the Whitecap Dakota Nation in Saskatchewan who has devoted her career to building relationships between the mining industry and Indigenous communities. She is the driving force behind the Association for Mineral Exploration’s (AME) Gathering Place, where industry and Indigenous representatives meet to forge common ground, and donates her time to several other industry organization.

She serves as chair of AME’s Aboriginal committee, and in 2017 became the first Indigenous woman to be elected to its board. She is a program advisor to British Columbia’s Institute of Technology, serves on Canadian Institute of Mining’s (CIM) diversity and inclusion advisory committee, and is Vice-President of CIM’s Western district. In 2018, the Prospectors & Developers Association of Canada awarded Lana with the Skookum Jim Award for her contribution to Canada’s mining industry by working diligently to bridge the divide between Indigenous communities and junior and major companies.

Previously she was the Executive Director for the Industry council for aboriginal business and worked as the Director of Aboriginal Engagement for PR Associates. In addition she was the Manager of Aboriginal Services for T.E. Wealth management and was Chairperson for Electra Gold. Her professional experience also includes working as the Manager Economic Development and Social Housing with the Quatsino First Nation, working as an Investment Advisor with Investment Advisor Practice and as a Banker with Royal Bank.

Lana has a Bachelor of Arts Degree from the University of Saskatchewan

Christine Creyke, Lands Director, Tahltan Central Government

In 2016 Christine was appointed as the TGC’s Lands Department Director. The Tahltan Lands Department brings together the administration of the environment, wildlife and resources under one cohesive department aimed at strengthening the TCG’s overall management of Tahltan lands.

As stated by The TCG President Chad Day upon her appointment, “The Tahltan Central Government is excited to welcome Christine to our team. She has the drive, determination, passion and educational background to deliver the responsibilities of this key position. Christine’s educational background in environmental science coupled with her firsthand knowledge of Tahltan heritage and culture will be a huge addition to our team and ensure responsible and sustainable management of Tahltan lands, as well as reinforce Tahltan title and rights.”

After receiving her Bachelor’s degree in Geography from UNBC in 2006, Creyke pursued masters-level studies through the university’s Natural Resources and Environmental Studies program

Overcoming Persistent Organic Contaminant Back-Diffusion Using Adsorptive Technologies

Organic contaminants in groundwater, including chlorinated Volatile Organic Compounds (cVOCs) and Petroleum Hydrocarbons (PHCs), often represent significant legacy environmental concerns at Brownfield and other contaminated sites. Soil is often quickly and easily remediated; however, relatively minor residuals of contamination remaining in the soil (or bedrock) matrix, even at concentrations below soil quality standards, can result in “rebound” of the compounds in groundwater to concentrations above actionable standards. This is due to the slow and steady back-diffusion of the organic contaminants out of the solid matrix over time. This phenomenon, combined with the orders of magnitude lower concentrations typically allowed in groundwater, is often problematic for site closure.
Many common in-situ remedial technologies have significant limitations in addressing back-diffusion including: the requirement for multiple applications of amendments; effectiveness limited to specific contaminants and not others; low persistence; low efficiency; potential for generation of more toxic degradation products, etc. Most of these approaches also require relatively long timeframes to implement (months to years).
In the past several years, Vertex has observed first-hand how injecting Activated Carbon (AC)-based amendments can be used to provide a quick, effective and sustained treatment for cVOCs, PHCs and other organic contaminants in a matter of weeks. Previously, the use of AC in the subsurface was limited due to the finite adsorptive capacity of the AC emplaced. New technologies allow for both adsorption and subsequent treatment of organic contaminants using efficient modalities. cVOCs are treated via the well known chemical reduction pathway. PHCs are treated via anaerobic biodegradation, which provides a more efficient and sustained treatment compared to aerobic biodegradation. As contaminants are degraded, adsorption sites on the AC once again become accessible to quickly adsorb more contamination from the groundwater, thus overcoming the back-diffusion challenge.
Real-world, Canadian case studies of sites where these innovative in-situ remedial technologies have been applied will be presented and discussed, together with follow-up performance monitoring data. The use of these adsorptive technologies may allow more Brownfields and other contaminated sites to quickly be brought to closure, while minimizing long-term risks over contaminant “rebound”.

Kevin French, B.A.Sc., P.Eng.
Mr. French is Vice President of Vertex and has over 30 years of experience and expertise in environmental engineering, specializing in site assessment and remediation. Kevin has been involved in the design and implementation of remediation programs across Canada involving PRBs, carbon adsorption, in-situ chemical oxidation and reduction, aerobic and anaerobic biodegradation, etc. in soil, groundwater and bedrock for a variety of contaminants, including petroleum hydrocarbons, chlorinated solvents and other compounds. He holds a Bachelor’s degree in Engineering from the University of Waterloo, is a Professional Engineer and a Qualified Person in Ontario, and frequently presents on environmental site assessment and remediation at conferences and seminars across Canada.

Remediating F2 Impacts in Soil Via Hydrogen Peroxide Injections

SNC-Lavalin Inc. designed and oversaw the completion of a full scale in situ hydrogen peroxide injection program at the Muncho Lake maintenance camp along the Alaska Highway. Soils at the active maintenance camp (highway maintenance yard) had been impacted with F2 hydrocarbons from operation and maintenance activities stretching all the way back to the construction of the Alaska Highway.
Hydrocarbon peroxide injection was identified as the most effective approach for remediating hydrocarbon impacts in soils at a depth that precluded remediation through excavation. Hydrocarbon impacts identified for remediation with hydrogen peroxide were generally observed in the smear zone at a depth of 7.5 to 11 m at Muncho Lake, and were extensive, covering an estimated area of 5,000 m2. F2 hydrocarbon impacts were targeted for remediation as this was the parameter that primarily exceeded applicable criteria.
To evaluate the degree to which hydrogen peroxide could affect remediation at the site a first stage injection program was completed to achieve the following three objectives:
• Complete the injection of hydrogen peroxide in a representative target area to achieve a measurable reduction in F2 concentrations;
• Collect data and develop methods that can be used for the optimal hydrogen peroxide application at the maintenance camp during a later stage full scale application; and
• Confirm remediation performance and associated costs to inform decision making with respect to a larger scale hydrogen peroxide remediation program at the site.

Following completion of the first stage injection program and identification that up to a 70% reduction in F2 concentrations was achievable, a full scale injection program was designed to target elevated F2 concentrations associated with the smear zone. The full scale program involved the injection of over 3.5 million liters of hydrogen peroxide at 568 injection locations at a concentration of 17.5%.

The results from the first stage and full scale hydrogen peroxide injection program will be presented and discussed. Conclusions and lessons learned for the completion of the hydrogen peroxide injection programs will also be presented.

Mr. Francis Galbraith, P.Eng., is a mechanical engineer and environmental scientist with over 17 years of environmental consulting experience. Mr. Galbraith has extensive experience with in situ remediation with experience in the design and installation of in situ treatment systems and completion of chemical injection programs. He has evaluated in situ remediation options for a host of sites and is very knowledgeable in the considerations and limitations of applying in situ remediation technologies. Experience in pilot testing in situ remediation options, has provided him with insight into site conditions and equipment requirements for making a full scale application successful, or for identifying issues that preclude effective remediation. Finally, his experience in the ongoing operation and maintenance of in situ remediation systems and completion of chemical injection programs has provided him with an opportunity to identify means for optimizing in situ remediation, ensuring equipment or programs operate efficiently and remediation objectives are achieved while minimizing the input of resources.

Groundwater Metals Contamination and Construction Dewatering: Treatment Challenges and Solutions

Re-development of port land, previously occupied by Western Stevedoring’s (Western) terminal in North Vancouver, BC to the G3 Terminal Vancouver (G3TV) grain export terminus (the Site) required management of historical contamination. Concentrations of copper, zinc and cadmium in groundwater exceeded the applicable Groundwater Quality Guidelines and applicable marine discharge criteria. The groundwater contamination coincided with a proposed excavation required to construct facilities for receiving grain by rail (referred to as the Rail Receiving Pit) requiring dewatering, and discharge to the Lynn Creek estuary.

This situation highlights a common problem faced by developers. The metal contamination in groundwater at the Site was shown to naturally attenuate to below the WQGs along the groundwater flow path before reaching the marine environment. Construction dewatering eliminates these natural attenuation processes creating a water disposal challenge. Large flow volumes were also predicted given the Site geology. G3TV proposed to mitigate the high flow volumes by installing a control density slurry mix (CDSM) soil cement cofferdam to isolate the excavation.

Since the location and geometry of the source of the contamination was unknown and metal contamination on the Site was dispersed and irregular, the concentration of metals in groundwater to seep into the RRP during construction was uncertain. To address this data gap, PGL designed a pumping test to create a capture zone equivalent to the size of the anticipated RRP excavation.

The pumping test demonstrated the desired capture zone and flowrate. It was concluded that metals concentrations in groundwater extracted from the Rail Receiving Pit would remain above the WQGs over the course of construction and treatment would be required.

McCue was contracted to supply and operate the temporary water treatment system following the installation of the CDSM soil cement cofferdam in spring 2017. Within two months of startup, the inlet contaminant concentrations started to climb and the system could not meet the discharge standards for copper and zinc. The strict copper and zinc standards, the presence of salts from seawater intrusion, and construction activities in the excavation made water treatment technically challenging.

In late October, the system was shut down. McCue undertook a system redesign, which included new technology assessments and a series of chemical bench scale tests. In an accelerated, two-week timeframe McCue deconstructed and relocated equipment for construction of a new plant that incorporated an unconventional multi step metals precipitation process. The new plant was operated by McCue for seven months and consistently met the treatment objectives for copper and zinc at a fraction of the cost of other methods. McCue will review the challenges involved.

McCue will also review the bench scale tests, which were based on work McCue previously completed in the mining sector. The test results and data from the G3 water treatment system contributed to the body of knowledge for heavy metals precipitation treatment performance. For instance, previously, literature indicated that no or negligible removal could be achieved for copper. McCue’s work has provided valuable data for copper that could benefit EA work at mine sites globally.

Cecilia Garcia Marra – Chemical Engineer, Project Engineer
Cecilia has a Chemical Engineering degree from the University of Buenos Aires (Argentina) and she is currently registered as an E.I.T in B.C., Canada. She has four years of relevant experience in designing and cost estimation of water/wastewater treatment systems. Cecilia joined McCue in January 2018 as a Project Engineer and contributes to the Engineering Team with process design, budget estimation, and project management. She also leads, plans, and oversees, most of the laboratory work conducted in McCue laboratory.

Cory Nelson, B.Sc., P.Ag., PGL Environmental Consultants, Environmental consultant with 12 years of experience in environmental site assessment, remediation and hydrogeology throughout western Canada. Projects have included marine water lots, waterfront development sites, industrial facilities and urban development properties.

The Use of Low-Level Membrane Interface Probe® and Hydraulic Profiling Tool in the Delineation of a Chlorinated Solvent Plume in Sandy Soils

A direct push tool, combining a low-level Membrane Interface Probe® (MIP) and a Hydraulic Profiling Tool (LL-MiHpt), was used to aid in the rapid delineation of a chlorinated solvent plume in groundwater at a site in the southern interior of BC. Delineation by conventional methods (i.e. drilling and monitoring well installation) generally requires many well nests to achieve adequate delineation, and impacted zones may be missed due to an inadequate degree of characterization, particularly in areas outside of the source zone where low dissolved phase concentrations may be present. The LL-MiHpt tool allows for the rapid screening of low level chlorinated solvents (i.e. less than 200 ug/L) while providing a vertical hydraulic conductivity profile to identify zones of high and low permeability. Confirmatory groundwater samples were subsequently collected within areas of interest identified by the LL-MiHpt screening using a Hydropunch™ sampler in adjacent boreholes. Depths of up to 38 m below ground surface were reached at this site using direct push methods. The LL-MiHPT screening results indicated potentially elevated chlorinated solvent concentrations in zones of relatively lower permeability, which were confirmed with HydropunchTM groundwater samples. These results were somewhat counterintuitive to anticipated contaminant distributions, and the impacted zones may have been missed if traditional methods were used with well screens placed across coarser soils. At sites with sandy to clayey soils, the LL-MiHpt is a valuable tool that can be used to quickly gather detailed hydrogeological data and delineate plumes of chlorinated solvents or other volatile organic compounds, in conjunction with confirmatory groundwater sampling. The HPT tool is also very effective in providing high resolution hydraulic conductivity information, which is essential in site characterization, particularly sites with chlorinated solvents. The MiHpt data can also be used to target very specific intervals for permanent monitoring well installations, which will reduce the total number of wells needed.

Chris Henry is a hydrogeologist working in the Site Assessment and Remediation group at SNC-Lavalin in Burnaby with 8 years experience working in the environmental consulting industry. He has worked on sites across western Canada and his experience includes the development of conceptual site models, 3-D numerical flow modeling, geochemical analyses, contaminant fate and transport assessments, groundwater resource evaluation, as well as extensive experience in the field.
Mr. Andrei Zawadzki is a hydrogeologist and geophysicist with 21 years of experience as an environmental consultant, specializing in preliminary and detailed contaminated site investigations, remediation, groundwater resource evaluation, and project management. He has applied innovative techniques to contaminated site evaluation, including the use of geophysical methods, direct push tools, and high resolution fractured rock characterization in evaluating contaminant migration. He has worked on sites across Canada and within California. Mr. Zawadzki has been with SNC-Lavalin since 2003.

Development of Methods, Tools and Models for Assessment of Natural Source Zone Depletion and Enhanced Bioremediation at Petroleum Hydrocarbon Impacted Sites

A comprehensive applied research and development program has been conducted by Golder since 2015 on remediation of petroleum hydrocarbon (PHC) contaminated sites with a focus on natural and enhanced depletion of contamination source zones. The program has two complementary parts: 1) development of a remediation framework and Toolkits to guide PHC remediation, prepared for Shell and the Contaminated Sites Approved Professional Society of British Columbia and 2) field trials and protocol development on natural source zone depletion (NSZD) and enhanced biodegradation conducted for ExxonMobil.
The Toolkits begin with the conceptual site model and multi-site database studies of PHC sites to understand concerns. A tiered framework is described for remedial options evaluation for PHC sites that includes NSZD and enhanced depletion focused on biodegradation. Detailed methods and tools for assessment of NSZD are described, a new analytical model was created (Vadose Zone Biodegradation Loss (VZBL) model) and an existing numerical model (MIN3P) was used to improve mechanistic understanding of processes. The Toolkits end with a roadmap for incorporating sustainability concepts into remedial decision-making that considers NSZD rates and transitions from active remediation to passive approaches.
The field trials at a former refinery involved novel methods for measurements of CO2 efflux for NSZD assessment. Seasonal factors and measurement methods were evaluated and a new method using radiocarbon (14C) analysis to correct for degradation of natural soil organics was developed. Methods that were further tested and developed were based on research conducted at UBC who provided input on the field trials.
Two methods of CO2 efflux measurements were compared for dry and warm summer conditions: 1) Dynamic Closed Chamber (DCC) method for short-term measurements and high spatial coverage; and 2) the Static Trap method for longer-term average measurements. Additional measurements in the moist to wet fall season were conducted to complement the summer data and two new techniques for the 14C correction of the CO2 efflux were tested. Additionally, a new technology (fixed diffusion) for obtaining continuous CO2 efflux measurements was tested. The field program was complemented by the data driven application of the VZBL model. Currently, trials are underway for enhanced bioremediation through solarization and bioventing.
The benefit of this work includes demonstration of importance of NSZD processes, better understanding of key factors and development of methods that can be reliably and practically used at contaminated sites to optimize remediation approaches.

Dr. Ian Hers is a senior consultant and Principal of Golder Associates located in Vancouver, B.C., with 30 years professional experience, and is the global vapour and NSZD practice leader for Golder. Dr. Hers has helped develop guidance for regulatory and industry clients in Canada, US and UK, authored over 25 technical papers on vapor intrusion and NSZD, and has conducted guidance and applied research projects for the Contaminated Sites Approved Professionals Society of BC, Health Canada, US EPA, American Petroleum Institute, ITRC, Shell Global, Chevron, BP and Science Advisory Board for Contaminated Sites (SABCS). Ian is an Approved Professional and on the board of directors for SABCS.

For information about the presentation, or ECO Canada, email: info@eco.ca.

Surfactant Enhanced Extraction to Expedite Remediation of a Carbon Tetrachloride Source Zone at an Active Grain Elevator Facility

Background/Objectives. The site is located in Kansas City, Kansas and currently operates as an active grain elevator facility. The site entered into the Voluntary Cleanup and Property Redevelopment Program (VCPRP) in 2000 following groundwater and soil detections of grain fumigant constituents of concern (COCs), including carbon tetrachloride (CT), in the vicinity of a former fumigant aboveground storage tank (AST). Following source area investigation and groundwater plume delineation activities, dual-phase vacuum extraction (DPVE) was implemented in 2007 for the removal of COCs in source area soils and groundwater. Groundwater is encountered at the site approximately 7 to 8 feet below ground surface (bgs). Lithology within the targeted source zone generally consists of well sorted, loose, silty-sand to depths ranging from approximately 13 to 17 feet bgs, underlain by silty clay.

After approximately 6 years of DPVE operation, resulting in the removal of over 9,000 pounds (lbs) of total VOCs, a subset of source area extraction wells continued to exhibit elevated COC groundwater concentrations. Additional investigation was conducted using high-resolution site characterization (HRSC) techniques to assess the nature and extent of residual COC mass in the source area and provide data required for the evaluation of alternatives that could expedite source area remediation. The investigation results indicated significant sorbed-phase COC mass, generally limited to the shallow, sandy interval of an area bound by the DPVE wells exhibiting elevated COC concentrations. Light non-aqueous phase liquid (LNAPL) heavily impacted with the site COCs was also identified. Surfactant enhanced extraction (SEE) was subsequently identified as the optimal source zone remedial alternative because of the technology’s ability to quickly and efficiently remove a concentrated, but relatively isolated and shallow zone of contaminant mass with relatively low surfactant application concentrations. In addition, the existing DPVE infrastructure could be utilized to implement SEE at the site, thereby minimizing cost and intrusive activities.

Results/Lessons Learned. The pilot and full-scale SEE remedial efforts have resulted in the recovery of approximately 700 lbs of total VOCs, and CT groundwater concentrations in the source area have been reduced by 80 to 99-percent. Based on these results, permanent shutdown of the DPVE system is anticipated to occur in 2019, resulting in significant project life-cycle cost savings. The presentation will include the SEE basis of design, including the HRSC-refined conceptual site model, SEE design discussion, and key performance monitoring results and trend presentations.

George (Bud) Ivey, Ivey International Inc.
George is President and Senior Remediation Specialist with Ivey International of Vancouver. He has thirty-years of environmental remediation experience, and worked on over 2000 projects internationally. His multi-disciplinary education includes: Organic Chemistry, Geological Engineering, and Master’s Certification in Project Management. His noticeable accomplishments include:
• Holding several International Environmental Patents;
• Recipient of many International Environmental Awards (Globe, Frost & Sullivan, MISTIC, Environmental Business Journal, Roy F. Weston Awards);
• Currently working on several high-profile remediation projects globally;
• Was recently named “Top 10 Environmental Technology Solution Providers 2019” In USA.

When not solving site remediation problems, he enjoys long distance trail running, hiking, great red wine and dining in the company of good friends!

Maximizing Data Quality for Nutrients and Aggregate Organics

Chemical testing of environmental water samples for nutrients (including phosphorus, ammonia, and other forms of nitrogen) is important due to their potential to cause eutrophication or “over-enrichment” of natural water bodies – often triggered by contamination from phosphate detergents, fertilizers, or sewage. These types of events can lead to algal blooms and aquatic toxicity due to oxygen depletion. Tests for aggregate organics such as Total or Dissolved Organic Carbon (TOC/DOC) and Chemical Oxygen Demand (COD) are closely related, predicting risk and potential for oxygen depletion of aquatic ecosystems. This presentation discusses ALS Canada innovations for nutrient and aggregate organics tests applicable to sulfuric acid preserved water samples, with an emphasis on eliminating sources of potential false positives and negatives

Jasmeen Jatana
Jasmeen Jatana works in Sales at ALS and her current responsibilities include growing the market share for ALS in the environmental testing sector across Western Canada. Jasmeen has over 10 years’ experience within the environmental testing sector which has included working in a Laboratory as an analyst, progressing on to Project Manager which helped her transition into her role as an Account Manager handling client portfolios. Her experience spans across the UK, Canada and India where she has gained valuable knowledge about different regulatory requirements and dealing with various governing bodies. Jasmeen holds a Master of Science and Business Administration from Aston Business School, and currently serves as a Director on EMA of BC Board.

Use of a Biostimulatory Solution to Enhance Petroleum Hydrocarbon Degradation Rates in Cold-Region Soils: A Bench-Scale Microcosm Study

Soils in cold regions experience low rates of natural attenuation due to decreased microbial activity at lower temperatures. For sites where engineered remediation activities are not implemented due to the remote nature of the site or other technical challenges, this reduced degradation rate ultimately increases the time required for a site to reach regulatory closure guidelines. Therefore, modifications to typical remediation strategies are required to increase the effectiveness of biodegradation in cold-region soils. Building upon previous work performed in Saskatchewan, a bench-scale microcosm study was conducted to support the development of a potential in situ bioremediation plan at a site with petroleum hydrocarbon contamination within a remote community in the Yukon Territory. Three different bench tests were carried out to evaluate the efficacy of different biostimulatory solutions. The biostimulatory solutions included additions of varying amounts of nitrogen and phosphorus, depending on key characteristics of the soil, preventing nutrient-limited conditions. Key soil characteristics that drove formulation of the various biostimulatory solutions included buffering capacity, calcite content, and iron content. An oligotrophic biostimulatory solution was also used to assess performance of petroleum hydrocarbon degrading microorganisms with the addition of a lesser nutrient dose. Sulphate and iron-based components were added to act as terminal electron acceptors for use by the microorganisms. Ammonium iron citrate, was added to chelate calcium or magnesium ions, reducing phosphorous mineralization and competition for phosphorous adsorption sites. All three bench test studies, including a novel microcosm setup, showed that the biostimulatory solutions stimulated petroleum hydrocarbon (specifically the F2 fraction) degradation over a 28-day period. Nitrate and sulphate acted as electron acceptors, with phosphate concentrations decreasing over time, indicating nutrients were bioavailable and degradation was occurring. Results from the microcosm study indicated that a treatability study using a biostimulatory solution may identify an alternate viable remedial option for the cold-region soils and confirmed the benefits of optimizing biostimulatory solutions based on evaluating and understanding different soil properties.

Amy Jimmo
Amy Jimmo, M.Sc., recently started her PhD in soil science at the University of Saskatchewan evaluating the performance of biostimulatory solutions in enhancing natural attenuation. She has previously completed a Bachelor of Science in biology at the University of New Brunswick and Master of Science in toxicology from the University of Saskatchewan. Since 2010 Amy has been employed by Jacobs (previously CH2M) as an environmental scientist working on various projects including environmental site assessments, bioremediation, monitored natural attenuation and screening level risk assessments. When working on this remote site, Amy connected Jacobs’ technical team with researchers at the University of Saskatchewan, to implement cutting edge science to increase the available options for hydrocarbon remediation in arctic conditions.

Case Study: Overcoming challenges and obstacles to remediate a former de-waxing facility in Richmond, BC

Synopsis: Jointly, the Vancouver Fraser Port Authority (VFPA) and Stantec Consulting Ltd. were faced with challenges and obstacles in their pursuit of a site remediation project at an automotive import facility in Richmond, British Columbia. Through a series of technical, logistical, and organizational actions a successful remediation project was completed.

Discussion: Together with Stantec, VFPA sought to remediate historic soil and groundwater hydrocarbon contamination and complete a routine tank removal at an automotive import facility on the Fraser River in the port authority’s jurisdiction. This normally straightforward remedial excavation program quickly required additional technical oversight and support to address unforeseen challenges uncovered during project execution.

The project management team faced a unique technical setting due to VFPA’s dual-approach to regulatory standards and guidelines. Issues raised during the permitting process included: First Nations’ concerns, interests from the local union representatives, and significant operational challenges posed by the active tenant on site. In addition, the team needed to address financial and technical obstacles related to the abundant groundwater resources in Richmond in areas adjacent to the Fraser River and the stringent discharge water quality objectives required for the project permit. The underground surprises common to remedial excavations, such as previously unknown underground storage tanks and utilities of unusual size, were also present during the project.

Stantec and VFPA were able to overcome the aforementioned obstacles through considerable consultation efforts with the on-site tenant, the permitting authority, and the local union office. Technically, Stantec and the project contractor (Tervita Corp.) with VFPA, developed a groundwater management program to reduce the groundwater inflow, treat the contaminated groundwater, and discharge it appropriately to the Fraser River. Investigation into the presence of the salt wedge in the Fraser River enabled a groundwater treat-and-release program that was protective of the environment, while more cost-effective for the client.

Tyler Joyce, C.Tech., Stantec Consulting Ltd.
Tyler is a project manager in Stantec’s Site Investigation and Remediation team with over ten years of industry experience. His primary focus has been the assessment and remediation of industrial facilities contaminated with various contaminants. He has implemented and evaluated numerous investigation and remediation programs including Phase I and Phase II ESAs, Detailed Site Investigations, ex-situ remediation, in-situ chemical oxidation, multiphase extraction, and bioremediation. His roles on projects have been varied, from conducting routine field work to managing large scale remediation projects.

Kate Schendel, P.Ag., Vancouver Fraser Port Authority
As Environmental Specialist with the Vancouver Fraser Port Authority, Canada’s largest and busiest Port, Kate focuses on due diligence for property acquisition, contaminated site assessment and remediation, and in environmental assessments for lease agreements. As a member of the Port’s 18-member
Environmental Programs Department, Kate works to ensure there is sufficient land, appropriately utilized, to meet the long term requirements of the Port. The Port is the largest landowner in the lower mainland of BC, and Brownfield renewal is just one of the avenues that this shortfall of industrial land base is being addressed. Kate holds a Master’s degree in Environmental Soil Science from UBC, and a Bachelor’s degree in Environmental Science and Physical Geography from Trent University. She is a Professional Agrologist with the BC Institute of Agrologists.

Forming Meaningful Relationships with First Nations and Indigenous Peoples: A Musqueam Perspective and Approach

Jim Kew, Elder and Cultural Ambassador, Musqueam Nation

This presentation will provide an understanding of best practices and attitudes when working with First Nation communities and Indigenous peoples. This presentation is anchored in the ancient culture of the Musqueam people, and will share Musqueam ancestral teaching and worldview, through to the contemporary context of building and maintaining relationships. The Musqueam Nation’s environmental and governance practices and approach will feature prominently in this presentation.

antha kwes’ kwestin. kin jawge tsun, tə nə ski’ ew James Kew

I am Kwes’ Kwestin. In the English language my name is James Kew. I am from Musqueam. My late mother was from the Charles family, her parents Andrew and Christine carried our language and law into the 20th century. My father is Mike Kew from a settler family in Quesnel; he became an Anthropologist who taught at UBC for decades. My wife is Marion, and we have not been blessed by children; but we are blessed to live amongst our many nieces and nephews, and extended family grandchildren.

I serve as a speaker, and a witness, at our Salish ceremonies. While my health permitted, I carried a mask, and the accompanying law, for many years. Although my health precludes my dancing anymore, I still carry the law of the mask that we have followed for many thousands of years. In my youth I served on our Council. I am now the Elders representative on our Land Code Committee, working to remove administration of our lands from the Indian Act, and move administration of our lands into the First Nations Land Management Act.

I have worked as a labourer, an archaeologist, a sculptor and a carver. I have worked in the Musqueam Band Office as a Manager and Assistant Program Manager in four different departments. My most recent employment with Musqueam was as Protocol Officer in 2018. I am currently employed as a Program Coordinator for snəw̓eyə ɬ leləm̓ (Langara College).

The CECs are Coming: Advanced Oxidation Processes for the Removal of Contaminants of Emerging Concern

Dr. Petr Kolosov, QM Environmental

The demand in water required in the industrial and agricultural sectors has been causing an increase in the amounts and types of contamination of water bodies globally. Traces of contaminants of emerging concern (CECs) which include endocrine disrupting compounds (EDCs), illicit drugs (IDs), pharmaceuticals and personal care products (PCPPs), and phthalates are found globally in the water resources. An additional cause of concern is that concentrations in the range of ppm and ppb are found downstream of the conventional water and wastewater treatment plants, indicating inability of such, to address newly aroused issues. The increased water consumption and growing list of CECs make wastewater treatment facilities, municipalities, and private organizations face the new challenges unarmed and unprepared to control the discharge of pollutants in the environment. In order to protect the water resources and to comply with the stringent regulations set by the governments and environmental agencies, new technologies such as Advanced Oxidation Processes (AOPs) are globally applied and investigated. QM Environmental is investigating the potential of these technologies to be used for the future water and wastewater treatment projects to be able to address the issues of safety and health of the community as well as our client’s needs.

Advanced Oxidation Processes (AOPs) have gathered much attention in the water and wastewater treatment technologies in the last decades. These technologies include a group of processes based on the generation of free radicals, such as superoxide radical (•O2−), hydroperoxyl radical (•HO2), hydroxyl radical (•OH), and alkoxyl radical (•RO). While some process such as ozonation have been successfully implemented in some water treatment processes for odor and color control, new technologies such as catalytic ozonation or hybrid processes are still under investigation. The application of AOPs has a great potential, as it can be successfully implemented in the removal of a wide range of CECs. Some AOPs have been already integrated into the new approaches for the sustainable and environmental treatment processes. QM Environmental is currently investigating the potential of such technologies to be applied in pilot scale and be tested on the field samples.
CECs have been found to affect the fish and aquatic habitats and vegetation at environmentally relevant concentrations. In some reported cases, presence of CECs was connected to the decrease of aquatic population and development of physical abnormalities in different aquatic species. Toxic by-products associated with the presence of CECs in water are also considered as a potential risk to human health due to a long-term exposure.

Dr. Petr Kolosov, QM Environmental Water Technician and Water Treatment Manager Trainee

Dr. Kolosov has several years of experience in the industrial and academic research and development of water and wastewater treatment technologies, civil and design engineering. He graduated from Chemical Engineering Department of McGill University (Canada) in 2019, with his thesis focusing on the development of catalytic ozonation technology for the removal of CECs from municipal wastewater. He also possesses M.Sc. degree in Civil and Environmental Engineering from Tennessee Technological University (USA), B.Sc. degree in Civil Engineering (Moscow State University of Civil Engineering, Russia) and B.Sc. degree in Computer Science (Russian New University, Russia).

Environmental Monitoring of DFO’s New Pile Driving Mitigation Advice

Pile driving in freshwater and marine aquatic environments is a common practice for installing or removing docks, marinas, bridges, and other infrastructure. However, the pressure soundwaves produced by pile driving can have negative environmental effects, particularly on fish and marine mammals. Environmental effects can be managed by timing construction to avoid sensitive periods, by limiting the “force” used to drive piles, and by employing mitigation techniques such as fish exclusion fencing or bubble curtains. In BC, best management practices1 developed in 2003 by the BC Marine and Pile Driving Contractors Association and informally adopted by Fisheries and Oceans Canada (DFO) identified 30 kPa as a sound pressure threshold to ensure minimal or no effects to fish and their habitat. Hence, the standard approach following these best management practices has been to measure underwater sound pressure using a hydrophone and adjust pile driving procedures to not exceed 30 kPa.

However, advancing science has identified that environmental effects of underwater sound pressures are more complex than an instantaneous peak measurement can capture; factors such as type of animal (fish vs. marine mammal), species of animal (whales vs seals), animal response (changes in behavioral vs. death), and type of sound pressure (e.g. large, percussive impacts vs. smaller repetitive vibrations) all need to be considered. As a consequence, DFO now recommends revised sound pressure thresholds to mitigate serious harm to fish and marine mammals from pile driving. These new recommendations specify maximum peak and cumulative sound exposure levels for fish during both vibratory and impact pile driving techniques, and specify additional mitigation measures, including exclusion zones, for marine mammals.

Ecofish Research Ltd. recently monitored pile driving activities for a marine dock upgrade south of Kitimat, BC. In this presentation we provide an overview of sound pressure monitoring during removal and installation of steel piles using a vibratory pile driver. We provide a description of the updated DFO recommendations to mitigate impacts, our monitoring approach including required equipment, preliminary monitoring results including a comparison to historical monitoring requirements, and recommendations for other projects.
Jayson Kurtz, B.Sc., R.P. Bio
Senior Fisheries Biologist, Project Manager
Jayson is a fisheries biologist and environmental management specialist, and is a discipline lead with Ecofish in Terrace, BC. Mr Kurtz has worked in industry, private consulting and Government since 1992 and has a comprehensive background in baseline studies, environmental assessment, regulatory permitting, environmental inspection, and effects monitoring. Jayson is the project director for several construction environmental management projects including the marine dock upgrade project referenced in this presentation.

Accurate and Quantifiable Characterization of Biogenic vs. Petrogenic Hydrocarbons in Soil

Soil samples containing high levels of naturally occurring organic (biogenic) material can produce false positives when measuring petroleum hydrocarbons (PHCs) using CCME Tier I protocols. If not properly removed from the extract, biogenic materials are included in the reported PHC result, potentially resulting in concentrations above regulatory standards. This may lead to costly remedial activities where no significant PHC impacts are present.
The prescribed methods to remove biogenics may be ineffective where the organic content exceeds the capacity of the clean-up procedures to remove them. In this case non-petroleum hydrocarbons can by identified by GC/MS analysis, however this does not quantify the biogenics contribution to the PHC result and the approach often fails due to co-eluting PHCs. Alternative approaches are available, including among others:
1) Visual evaluation of GC chromatograms for characteristic biogenic hydrocarbon peak patterns;
2) Application of the (Alberta) Biogenic Index Calculation to identify false exceedences; and
3) Comprehensive 2-dimensional GC evaluation of the proportion of peak area in the 2-D space characteristic of biogenic hydrocarbons.
Although useful for identifying potential biogenic bias, these methods still have limitations:
1) May not fully isolate all biogenic materials from petrogenics;
2) Extracts for GC/MS analysis may contain interfering species that preclude accurate identification of biogenic materials; and
3) Results are not obtained in accordance with CCME prescribed procedures.
This presentation describes a novel method for the separation and determination of petrogenic and biogenic hydrocarbons from a soil sample. The method is based on an Environment Canada report from 2013*, which describes a column fractionation process to efficiently separate the petrogenic and biogenic components of biodiesel and quantify them separately. Multiple recovery surrogates are used to verify the efficient separation of the components. The method appeared well suited for soil biogenics determination as the range of biogenic materials in a biodiesel is similar to those arising from soil organic matter. Additionally, the extraction and quantification protocols described in the Environment Canada method are similar to those prescribed by CCME for analysis of PHCs in soil.
In this presentation we will demonstrate how this method has been applied to soils with a wide range organic content, contaminated with different types and amounts of PHCs.
Advantages of this method include:
1) Use of CCME prescribed methods;
2) Additional recovery surrogate standards for both biogenic and petroleum hydrocarbons demonstrate efficient separation of PHCs from biogenics;
3) The biogenic extract is clean, allowing for accurate GC/MS characterization.

Presenter Biography
Heather Lord is the Manager for Maxxam Environmental Research & Development. She earned her Ph.D. in Analytical Chemistry from the University of Waterloo in 2005 and has published over 50 scientific research papers on the subject. She joined Maxxam in 2012 and works closely with both Maxxam staff and industry stakeholders to address new technical challenges and evolving industry needs. Her focus is on bringing new and improved service offerings to market and reducing time and costs for field work and lab analysis.

PFAS Replacement Compounds: The Next Generation

Industries in the United States have phased out production of PFOA and PFOS because of potential health risks to humans. As global production of PFOS and PFOA is eliminated, manufacturers have been and continue developing PFAS replacement technologies to reformulate or substitute longer chain PFAS (e.g. PFOS and PFOA) with shorter-chain perfluoroalkyl or polyfluorinated substances. These processes result in: fluorotelomer alcohols (FTOH); perfluorobutane sulfonyl fluoride (PBSF)-based derivatives (e.g., perfluorobutane sulfonate (PFBS) as a substitute for PFOS); and polyfluoroethers (e.g. GenX, ADONA and F53B used in the manufacture of fluoropolymers) among others.

While there is a substantial body of knowledge for managing risk from PFOS and PFOA, much less is known about replacement PFAS. Although published toxicological data is limited, studies are suggesting that some of the lower molecular weight PFAS replacement compounds may be more hazardous than their long-chain predecessors. Information on the type and extent of environmental contamination by replacement PFAS is also limited, as most are currently not reported as part of the routine suite of PFAS commonly analysed by commercial analytical laboratories.

Three key PFAS replacements currently being studied are commonly referred to as GenX, ADONA and F53B. PFAS replacements like these tend to have fewer carbon atoms in the chain, but have many similar physical and chemical properties as their predecessors PFOS and PFOA (e.g. they repel oil and water).

Because of increased interest in PFAS replacement compounds and the potential for their regulation in some jurisdictions, Maxxam has validated methods for the determination of GenX, ADONA and F53B by isotope dilution liquid chromatography coupled with tandem mass spectrometry. This presentation will describe: the history and environmental impact of these compounds; required sample collection protocols; analytical performance considerations; and site remediation challenges.

Heather Lord is the Manager for Maxxam Environmental Research & Development. She earned her Ph.D. in Analytical Chemistry from the University of Waterloo in 2005 and has published over 50 scientific research papers on the subject. She joined Maxxam in 2012 and works closely with both Maxxam staff and industry stakeholders to address new technical challenges and evolving industry needs. Her focus is on bringing new and improved service offerings to market and reducing time and costs for field work and lab analysis.

Gravel Bed Reactors (GBR™): Semi-Passive Water Treatment of Metals and Inorganics

Silvia Mancini, Evan Cox, Len deVlaming
Geosyntec Consultants International Inc.

Metal and inorganic impacts to groundwater and surface waters are a critical issue facing many industries in Western Canada. A wide range of commercially available treatment solutions exist however, the operational requirements of many industries make most conventional technologies expensive and difficult to comply with discharge criteria. Geosyntec has designed, constructed and operated a semi-passive water treatment technology called Gravel Bed Reactors (GBR™) for industrial and mining applications. While GBRs™ can treat a variety of water quality issues including acidity, metals and metalloids, inorganics, and organic chemicals, recent water quality focus in Western Canada is on metals and inorganics such as selenium and nitrate.

A GBR™ consists of an engineered bed of gravel/media through which water containing constituents of concern is passed and treated. For anaerobic biological treatment, required amendments, such as electron donors and nutrients, are added to the water at the inlet of the GBR™ to promote the growth and activity of natural microbes that are capable of reducing the inorganics, sequentially immobilizing the metals in the gravel bed. Denitrification is the microbially mediated mechanism by which nitrate concentrations in waste waters are reduced to nitrogen gas in GBRs™ systems. Selenium can be removed from water by reducing the soluble forms of selenate {Se(VI)} or selenite {Se(IV)} to elemental selenium {Se(0)} which can then be sorbed onto solid phases, precipitated or incorporated into the biomass within the GBR™. This presentation will describe case studies where Gravel Bed Reactors (GBR™) were used to treat selenium and nitrate at meaningful levels to reduce concentration loading to surface water and/or reduce the requirement for conventional treatment.

Based on our experience, GBRs™ offer simpler, less engineered systems compared to other anaerobic biological treatment approaches such as water treatment facilities, packed bed bioreactors and fluidized bed reactors. This includes the use of less tankage and equipment and the ability to use waste rock in mining applications as bioreactor packing media. This is advantageous to industrial and mining operations as the need for less infrastructure allows easier installation of smaller systems in less accessible locations such as montane topography, and the potential to treat water at/near the source.

Dr. Silvia Mancini, Ph.D., P.Geo., is a Principal in the remediation group of Geosyntec Consultant’s Toronto office focused on managing soil, surface water and groundwater remediation programs. She obtained a doctoral degree from the University of Toronto and is an Adjunct Professor in the Department of Earth Sciences focusing on innovative technologies including bioremediation. Silvia’s consulting experience includes implementing and managing remediation programs using advanced technologies such as smouldering combustion (STAR), in situ chemical oxidation/reduction, gravel bed bioreactors (GBRs™), and permeable reactive barrier (PRBs). Silvia is an author of several journal articles in her field of expertise and manages government research programs focused on innovative methods and technologies for site characterization and remediation.

The InSitu Treatment of Chlorinated Ethenes Using Colloidal Activated Carbon and Bioremediation

Chlorinated ethenes such as tetrachloroethene (PCE) and trichloroethene (TCE) are some of the most commonly occurring contaminants in groundwater in North America. Traditionally chlorinated ethenes have been treated using extractive technologies such as pump & treat, air sparging and soil vapour extraction along with insitu technologies such as chemical oxidation and anaerobic bioremediation. Recently a new insitu technology has emerged that combines bioremediation with sorption. The technology is based on activated carbon which is a well demonstrated technology for aboveground water treatment but due to its relatively large grain size, the injection of activated carbon has been challenging. Numerous companies have developed various forms of injectable activated carbon including a colloidal form which has a diameter of 1 to 2 microns. The activated carbon is often combined with electron donors such as zero-valent iron and/or organic carbon substrates which promote the biotic and abiotic degradation of the chlorinated ethenes. At a former industrial site in an urban environment, a combination of colloidal activated carbon and hydrogen-releasing material was used to address a dissolved phase plume containing PCE, TCE along with cis 1-2 dichloroethene (1,2-DCE) and vinyl chloride. Localized concentrations of heavy metals and petroleum hydrocarbons were also present within the groundwater. A direct push technology program was implemented within the fill and glacial till aquifers with the injections occurring over a four-week period. The injection program involved the injection of 16,500 kg of colloidal activated carbon and 490 kg of hydrogen releasing material using 90 injection locations. The results of the injection program indicated that the groundwater concentrations for the chlorinated ethenes had decreased to levels below the applicable regulatory standards for the site and remained below the applicable standards for the year of required monitoring. Tetrachloroethene, TCE and cis-1,2 DCE remained below 0.2 µg/L whereas vinyl chloride remained below 0.17 µg/L. Additionally, the localized concentrations of heavy metals and petroleum hydrocarbons decreased and remained below the applicable regulatory standards over the monitoring period. These results led to the successful sale of the property at no reduced cost to the seller.

BIO
Rick McGregor is the President of InSitu Remediation Services Ltd and has over 26 years’ experience in groundwater and soil assessment and remediation. Rick has worked in over 30 countries and has authored numerous papers on groundwater assessment and remediation. Rick holds a M.Sc. from the University of Waterloo in hydrogeology and geochemistry and is a Certified Ground Water Professional in Canada and the United States.

Post-Risk Assessment Public Engagement in a Remote Indigenous Community in British Columbia

Paddy McManus, BSc., MSc., Environmental Officer, Fisheries and Oceans Canada

Small Craft Harbours (SCHs) is a nationwide Fisheries and Oceans Canada (F&OC) program that operates and maintains a national system of harbours to provide harbour users with safe and accessible facilities. In 2015, a tool was developed to assist F&OC in estimating remediation liability costs for SCHs based on a common set of assumptions related to site characteristics. The objective of the tool was to help prioritize sites for future remediation and audit existing liabilities, it was implemented at a number of coastal SCH sites in BC.

In 2016, a supplemental investigation and risk assessment to evaluate the potential for adverse effects and provide recommendations for risk management at one site assessed using the developed tool was conducted at a SCH site in a small First Nations community in BC. An aquatic ecological risk assessment evaluated potential risks to benthic invertebrates as the primary ecological receptors using a weight of evidence (WOE) approach. Results of the WOE assessment indicated a low to moderate risk for benthic invertebrates at the site. Decreased abundance and richness observed in samples were not correlated with contaminants of concern, but were attributed to the presence of anthropogenic debris within the waterlot. Extensive debris was observed on the waterlot sea floor including a large volume of fishing gear as well as boat batteries and general refuse. Because no human health risks were identified and risks associated with the benthic community did not appear to be related to chemical stressors, the liability associated with contamination present at the Site was considered to be minimal and physical remediation of sediments was not recommended. Instead, removal of debris and management of waste inputs were recommended as risk management approaches to reduce the liability at the harbour.

In 2017 a targeted debris removal program using divers and the local First Nation was conducted with the aim of improving conditions within the water lot. The field program also included diver and sidescan sonar surveys of the sea floor to identify additional anthropogenic debris and areas of future attention. The results of those efforts were presented at BEST 2018 by Chris McDonald (F&OC) and Lizanne Meloche (Golder Associates LTD.), who also discussed plans upcoming risk communication and education activities.

So far during 2019, co-occurring large-scale harbour cleanup and risk education programs were conducted in collaboration with F&OC, the First Nation’s administration and the local schoolboard with the aim of increasing community environmental stewardship while reducing refuse in the water lot. This presentation provides an update to the ongoing risk management actions at the site.

Paddy McManus, BSc., MSc., Environmental Officer, Fisheries and Oceans Canada

Paddy has a Bachelors of Science in Environmental Toxicology and Masters of Science in Environmental Science from the University of Guelph. He has over 6 years of combined toxicology experience, focusing on environmental assessment, environmental effects monitoring and risk assessment. Paddy has worked on sites across western Canada and the US in remote and urban environments.

Tamara is a graduate of the Queen’s University Biology Program where she conducted aquatic toxicology studies on areas of concern in the Kingston Harbour. Prior to joining DFO, Tamara’s experience as a Project Manager focused on Environmental Site Assessments and Remediation Programs to support the development of Site Specific Risk Assessments in the high Arctic, BC and Ontario.

CFB Comox, Fire Fighting Training Area, PFAS Delineation and Water Treatment: A Case Study

Between September 2018 and March 2019, SNC-Lavalin was tasked to complete a Phase III Environmental Site Assessment to delineate previously identified hydrocarbon, metals, and per- and poly-fluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) contamination in soil, sediment, groundwater, and surface water at the firefighter training area (FFTA) of CFB Comox. To support remediation efforts, SNC-Lavalin was also tasked to assess two surface water remediation approaches for the FFTA: an existing multi-phase extraction remediation system stored at the Williams Lake airport (to be relocated and trialed at CFB Comox), and a proprietary advanced oxidation process marketed by a private firm.

The FFTA at CFB Comox was used for training since the late 1960s until circa 2009. Fire training exercises were conducted on a gravel-surfaced area surrounded by a gravel ring-road, which drained to a retention pond to the northeast. Training exercises in this area utilized aqueous film forming foam (AFFF) containing PFAS until circa 2002. The FFTA site also contained three other AECs for the storage and use of hydrocarbons, waste oil, and waste water. Environmental investigations have been completed at the FFTA since 2002 and PFAS was first tested in samples from the FFTA in 2014.

As a case study, SNC-Lavalin will review the history of environmental investigations at the FFTA, describe the unique physical environment of the area and associated challenges, review the sampling analysis plan for delineation of the COCs, methodologies and precautions for sampling PFAS, and describe the results of the investigation. SNC-Lavalin will also summarize the results of surface water treatment pilot testing activities and outline potential next steps for the site.

Doug McMillan, M.Sc., P.Eng., SNC-Lavalin Inc., Victoria, BC

Mr. Doug McMillan is a senior project manager with SNC-Lavalin Inc. with over 18 years of experience in contaminated site assessment and remediation projects in British Columbia and the Yukon Territory. Over the last eight years Mr. McMillan has managed and executed a wide range of projects for federal and regional government clients in the Victoria area. Mr. McMillan has implemented numerous projects on CFB Esquimalt properties including soil groundwater, soil vapour, surface water, and sediment impacts at upland, intertidal, and marine locations. Mr. McMillan has coordinated large teams of professionals to provide integrated environmental and infrastructure services including contaminated site assessment, risk assessment, geotechnical services, terrestrial and marine biological surveys, waste water management, and air quality studies.

Going Global: Excitement, Challenges and Innovation for Advanced In-Situ Remediation Technologies

Since newly developed countries in Asia such as South Korea and China initiated contaminated site related regulations and remediation programs in early 2000s, heavily engineered and high capital cost based ex-situ remediation technologies such as thermal desorption, soil washing and /or pump and treat type technologies have been widely used for heavily contaminated soil and groundwater and/or source material. However, with an ever increasing emphasis on sustainable remediation practices, contaminated site stakeholders in those countries are under increasing pressure to select more sustainable and innovative in-situ remedial solutions minimizing environmental footprints caused by massive soil excavation or groundwater diversion and remediation process at ex-situ treament plant and facilities and there is a demand for the adaptation of a diverse number of advanced in-situ remediation approaches and the markets look for cooperations with remediation companies from the other foreign markets where various project experience and advanced techniques have been learned.
As part of market expansion and pusuit of self-innovation internationally, TRIUM has obtained valuable lessons and experience through numerous in-situ remediation projects in South Korea and China since 2007. In this presentation, several case studies of sustainable in-situ projects will be presented along with project management challenges such as different culture, regulatory framework, project award and contract system, project financial risks, procurement and human resources as well as competition with local companies. Also it will be discussed how those project / business challenges and risks were mitigated and/or overcome and what benefit and influence have been provided to our innovation and technology advancements in Canada.
Mr. B.J. Min, M.Eng., P.Eng., is a Principal of TRIUM Environmental Inc. (TRIUM). He is a registered Professional Engineer (24+ years) in the Provinces of Western Canada. He obtained B.Sc. in Environmental Engineering from Ajou University in S. Korea and M.Eng. in Environmental Engineering from the University of Calgary. His area of technical expertise includes environmental site assessments, risk assessment & management, innovative remediation technology development and commercialization, and intellectual property management strategies throughout Canada, and numerous countries around the world.
Mr. Jevins Waddell, P.Tech.(Eng.), is a Principal of TRIUM Environmental Inc. He has over 19 years of environmental industry related experience and received his diploma in Hydrogeology from the Northern Alberta Institute of Technology. His expertise includes management and execution of projects and initiatives related to: alternative and conventional remediation, research and development of proprietary/patented technologies, and environmental site assessment and risk analysis. His experience includes sites throughout Canada, South Korea, China and Yemen.

Environmental Inspections, Investigations and Prosecutions

This presentation will outline when environmental inspections, investigations and prosecutions may occur, the government agencies that initiate them, the powers of these government agencies, the rights of the parties being inspected/investigated, and helpful tips on how to react and respond.
Luke Dineley, Partner, Borden Ladner Gervais LLP
Luke Dineley is a partner in both Borden Ladner Gervais’ Insurance and Tort Liability Group and Environmental Law Group in our Vancouver office. Luke focuses his practice on civil litigation, with an emphasis on insurance and tort law, and environmental law.

In the area of insurance and tort law, Luke represents and advises insurance companies, manufacturers, and individuals in matters involving product liability, personal injury, motor vehicle liability, professional negligence, fraud, and coverage issues. Luke has appeared at all levels of courts in British Columbia on insurance matters and has a wealth of litigation experience on insurance matters.

In the area of environmental law, Luke's experience includes representing and advising clients on a wide variety of contaminated site issues relating to both commercial and residential properties — including cost-recovery actions on behalf of plaintiffs and defendants. In addition, Luke has represented and advised major companies on environmental regulatory compliance, emergency spill responses, and environmental prosecutions. Luke is also an executive board member of the British Columbia Environmental Industry Association and frequently publishes and speaks in the area of environmental law.

Luke's practice also includes debt and insolvency litigation, particularly realization and collection files for major banks, credit unions and other lenders. Luke has represented and advised major financial institutions on a wide variety of realization related litigation
Luke also has experience in expropriation matters. He has advised a range of clients on expropriation and related matters, including private and corporate landowners advancing expropriation compensation claims, and oil and gas companies acquiring interests in lands.

Dino Rossi, Partner, Borden Ladner Gervais LLP
Dionysios (Dino) Rossi is a partner at the Vancouver office of Borden Ladner Gervais LLP, where he practices in the areas of shipping and maritime law and environmental law.
He has represented and advised clients (including forestry companies, oil and gas companies, mining companies, commercial and residential property owners, and property insurers), on a wide range of environmental law matters in the litigation, regulatory and transactional contexts. These include: cost-recovery proceedings, pollution-related matters (air, water, and soil), spill response incidents, regulatory compliance issues, prosecutions, the environmental assessment process (federal and provincial), and the allocation of environmental risks and liabilities in a wide range of commercial agreements.
Dionysios frequently speaks and publishes on the subject of environmental law. He has been interviewed by Global News Television on the subject of ship-source pollution. His work has appeared in general interest publications such as the Vancouver Sun and Business in Vancouver, trade publications such as Western Mariner and The Environmental Managers Association of British Columbia Journal, legal publications such as the Irwin Law Maritime Law survey text, The Transportation Lawyer, The Lawyers Weekly, and in various Continuing Legal Education Society of British Columbia works.

The importance of First Nation Integration in Rural and Remote Construction Projects: A Bella Bella Case Study

The construction industry is a transient business which can have effects on the communities these projects operate within. Knowledge loss of technical skills and experience within First Nation communities is an important issue. Understanding the value of engagement along each project execution stage gate is not only important for integrating First Nations knowledge and skills into construction projects but is crucial to project success.
The status quo for construction projects needs to move away from approaches involving limited engagement and inclusion, to one of collaboration and partnership. Knowledge transfer with a focus on First Nation capacity building programs within construction projects needs to be identified as a key project requirement that is managed from concept through to project close out.
This paper discusses the Kwakiutl Creek Dam upgrade construction project, located in Bella Bella as an example of how integration of First Nations vision, values and skills can result in positive project outcomes and improved environmental performance. We discuss typical pitfalls and opportunities at each project execution stage gate to improve the level of First Nation integration and project success.
Opportunities for knowledge transfer is also discussed including explicit knowledge that can be easily measured, accessed, and verbalized (e.g., management systems, reports, data and drawings); and tacit knowledge that is undocumented and difficult to communicate or record (e.g., people’s experience, instincts, etc.). Identifying and cross-transferring both types of knowledge is important at each project execution stage gate.
The motivation for developing this paper is from an observed need to increase dialogue on this topic for improved environmental stewardship amongst practitioners and project managers.

Jonathan Sanders, Senior Environmental Scientist, Klohn Crippen Berger Ltd.
Jonathan has over 12 years of consulting and onsite multidisciplinary project experience in hydro power, minerals and construction industries. His project work comprises of projects located in Canada, Mexico, Indonesia, Australia, U.S and Guyana. Fields of experience includes environmental management, mine closure planning, environmental assessment and permitting, and biodiversity/land management.

Ian Reid, Environmental Officer, Heiltsuk Nation
Ian is an environmental officer with 6 years experience in environmental monitoring and technician work with the Heiltsuk Integrated Resource Management Department (HIRMD). Ian has provided environmental management support for a range of environmental and construction projects within the traditional territory of Heiltsuk Nation.

Managing Complex Sites with High Resolution Characterization and Remediation

Background/Objectives. Recent groundwater characterization and instrumentation approaches have proven helpful in providing a sound and defensible Conceptual Site Model to help design a range of different remedies to reach the overall goal at a complex site.

High Resolution Characterization. An integrated approach has been developed to characterize baseline groundwater conditions, give a three-dimensional picture of the problem with Ultra-high Resolution Scanning Technology and highlight the microbial community with Next Generation Sequencing.

High Resolution Remediation. To efficiently target remedies in a complex stratified regime will optimize the remedial design, we can use the following;
• Thermal, excavation and surfactant for the source zone,
• ISCO, ISCR for the sub-source zone
• Bioremediation to polish the source/sub-source and remediate the downgradient plume.

The presentation will bring together 3 case studies of complex sites with high resolution characterization that resulted in high resolution remediation.

John Sankey, P.Eng., True Blue Technologies
John Sankey, P.Eng., is an engineer for True Blue Technologies. He holds a degree in Mechanical Engineering from Queen’s University in Kingston, Ontario. He sits on the steering committee for several groundwater Sampling & Monitoring Symposiums, which focuses on monitoring groundwater so that in situ remediation is planned well. He has been in the groundwater industry for 20 years and in 2003 started True Blue Technologies, a business dedicated to providing engineering, technical support and business development for technologies in groundwater remediation and characterization. After work, John is the “snowboard” trainer for the Disabled Skiing Association of BC and co-coordinates a small adult co-ed hockey league.

New Quadrupole Mass Spectrometer Method for the Quantification of Inorganic and Organic 18O- Phosphate Species

The fate of Phosphorus (P) fertilizers added to soils, through either the microorganisms incorporating the P and/or the exchange processes between soil pools are not well known. Using 18O-labelled phosphate (18O-OP), one can track P as it cycles through soil and biotic systems. However, methods that determine both the 18O-OP incorporation into microbial macromolecules and temporal trends of soil P pools have not yet been established. In this study, we created a tandem mass spectrometry (MS/MS) method for absolute quantification of 18O-OP fertilizer to describe biological and geochemical P dynamics. Soil (10g) microcosms were treated with either: (i) 18O-OP, (ii) unlabeled phosphate (16O-OP) or (iii) Milli-Q control, dissolved in a bio-stimulatory at a circumneutral pH. Microcosms were destructively sampled during a 6 week time series to measure P by Hedley sequential fractionation and DNA extraction. Double stranded DNA samples were digested to 3’-deoxynucleoside 5’-monophosphates (dNMP). A 4000 QTRAP attached to an Agilent 1260 Series HPLC System conducted the collision-induced dissociation (CID) MS/MS analysis of each P-species. The resin extractable and bicarbonate 18O-OP and 16O-OP fractions displayed similar precipitation and adsorption-desorption trends. Biotic activity measured in the NaOH and dNMP fractions rapidly delabelled 18O-OP; however, some 18O remained between the P backbone and deoxyribose sugars during the greatest period of microbial activity. In addition, after the 6 week series the 18O-OP had not reached the HCl soil pool. Overall, the absolute quantification of 18O-OP using MS/MS provides a distinctive opportunity to understand P cycling in soils.

Aimée Schryer is a PhD canditate from the University of Saskatchewan. She completed her bachelors in Chemstry at the University of Saskatchewan. Her work focuses on understanding the Phosphorus cycle by examining both inorganic and organic pools using 18Oxygen isotopes.

The British Columbia (B.C.) Ministry of Environment and Climate Change Strategy (ENV) is considering updating the provisions of B.C.’s contaminated sites legal regime address¬ing the prevention of contamination from soil relocation. The ENV wants to improve the soil relocation process by making it more streamlined, transparent and accountable.

Kerri Skelly is currently acting Manager for Risk Assessment and Remediation with the BC Ministry of Environment and Climate Change Strategy where she leads an experienced group of professionals responsible for providing guidance on site investigation and oversight of high risk site remediation and human health/ecological risk assessment. For 20 years, she has been responsible for a variety of business areas including agricultural waste control and hazardous waste. More recently, Kerri’s responsibilities focus on regulatory compliance including outreach, verification and enforcement, and resolving soil management issues. Over her career, she has authored guidance documents, fact sheets and procedures including potential changes to the soil relocation legal regime, local government soil bylaw review and the Land Remediation Section compliance management approach.

First Nation Industrial Perspective: Environmental Management and Stewardship Regimes and Approaches

Chief Aaron Sumexheltza, Lower Nicola Indian Band & Chair of the Indigenous Business and Investment Council

In the past several decades, First Nations in British Columbia have become deeply involved in the participation, promotion and critique of industrial projects in their traditional territories. This increasing involvement has also brought about a corresponding development of First Nation environmental management regimes and stewardship approaches.

This presentation will review and discuss the current state of First Nation environmental management and stewardship regimes and approaches for industrial development. The presentation will highlight how First Nations are transitioning from the periphery in the development of these environmental management regimes to being central, not only in their development but also in their application and monitoring.

Chief Aaron Sumexheltza, Lower Nicola Indian Band & Chair of the Indigenous Business and Investment Council
Ski’us Aaron Sumexheltza is Chief of the Lower Nicola Indian Band and the Chair of the Indigenous Business and Investment Council. He previously worked as a lawyer for Fulton & Company and several other organizations focusing on representing residential school survivors and criminal defence. Aaron is currently a member of the board for the Assembly of First Nations, Advisory Council on Climate Action and the Environment, the BC Aboriginal Justice Council and the Lower Nicola Indian Band Development Corporation.

Aaron was instrumental in negotiating two long awaited agreements with the provincial government and Highland Valley Copper. Both agreements will see a portion of the Mine’s profits being shared with the Lower Nicola Indian Band, as well as Lower Nicola being more closely involved in contracting, and environmental planning and control.

Aaron has a Bachelor of Law degree from the University of British Columbia and a Bachelor of Arts in Environmental Studies from California State University.

What the Fe?

The planning and environmental permitting for construction of a deep underground electrical distribution line presented unique environmental challenges with respect to groundwater management. Recent changes to the Water Sustainability Act and constraints in sewer capacity have made the planning & permitting process and water management during construction significantly more complex. This presentation presents one such project of a recently constructed underground distribution line in Coquitlam and Port Coquitlam, BC. The presentation will cover the regulatory framework, the permitting process, groundwater assessment, options for groundwater management and how groundwater was ultimately managed with close involvement of the local First Nation during construction. The presentation will focus on key challenges that project proponents face in light of the recent changes in the Water Sustainability Act, how the challenges were overcome, and what the future holds for these types of project moving forward.

John is a professional engineer with over 28 years of experience in environmental engineering. Originally from Ontario, John moved to BC in 1992 and has witnessed the evolution of the Waste Management Act and Criteria for Managing Contaminated Sites in BC, through to the Environmental Management Act and the Contaminated Sites Regulation. He has a thorough understanding of how environmental standards and criteria are developed and their use in environmental projects. John is one of the 6 founding partners of Core6 Environmental.

Lauren Cherkezoff is a senior environmental professional with over 26 years of experience at BC Hydro and expertise in the areas of environmental assessment, environmental team leadership and regulatory management. She has led multi-disciplinary teams for major and minor infrastructure projects throughout BC, to address environmental regulation, waste management, fish and aquatics, wildlife and heritage assessment. She is a professional Landscape Architect in BC and holds a Bachelor in Environmental Studies from University of Waterloo and a Master’s degree in Landscape Architecture from University of Guelph

PSPC Pacific Region is anticipating approximately $85,000,000 worth of consulting and construction work in FY201920, the final year of FCSAP Phase III. In order to support this work PSPC will be renewing 4 consultant Contracts with Task Authorizations and letting approximately 10 major construction contracts. In order to ensure a fair, open, and transparent tendering process, both the consulting and the construction contracts include technical evaluation criteria, rather than being based on low-bid. Possible technical criteria include consultant evaluations analogous to the standard Consultant Performance Evaluation Report Form and having some construction contracts include an Indigenous Benefit Plan component.

Mr. Scott Tomlinson, PGeo, is the Manager of Contaminated Sites, Environmental Services, Pacific Region, Public Services and Procurement Canada in Vancouver, BC. He holds a Bachelor of Science in Geology and a Masters of Applied Science in Civil Engineering, both from the University of British Columbia. Scott worked as a project manager in the mining industry for 10 years, for the provincial Ministry of Highways for 8 years, and for the federal government (Transport Canada and PSPC) for 17 years. Scott has extensive experience in the field of contaminated sites assessment, remediation, project management and procurement.

Middle Harbour Fill Site Uplands Remediation: Execution and Management of a Large Remediation Project as Prime Environmental Contractor

The Middle Harbour Fill Site is a historic industrial property located adjacent to the Victoria Harbour. Recorded land use dates back as far as 1885 with a paint manufacturing facility occupying the land from 1906 to 1972. After the facility was demolished in 1970s, the site served as parkland neighboring a local residents and hotel, today known as the Inn at Laurel Point. The majority of the Uplands site is owned by Transport Canada with a smaller parcel owned by the City of Victoria. Eighty years of industrial activity and foreshore infilling resulted in widespread contamination of surroundings soils, sediments and groundwater.

The contractor scope of the Middle Harbour Fill Site Uplands Remediation project consisted of:

 Clearing and grubbing vegetation and trees, and removing concrete paths and a decorative pond.
 Excavating, transporting, treating and disposing approximately 79,000 tonnes of contaminated soils of six different waste classes, including approximately 4,600 tonnes of hazardous waste polychlorinated biphenyl (PCB) class soils.
 Providing and maintaining upland and marine environmental protections to remain in compliance with applicable regulatory criteria.
 Importing, placing and compacting 90,000 tonnes of granular fill into the remedial excavations, including placement of 500 kg rip rap along approximately 100 lineal meters of Victoria Harbour foreshore.

Key technical achievements included:

The remediation project was limited to ten trucks per day, requiring the contractor to transport all soils and backfill via barge directly from the project site. To this end, two temporary marine barge facilities were installed in the Victoria Harbour, enabling the contractor to complete two essential activities simultaneously: Either excavate of two different soils classes, import granular fill, or a combination of the two.

 In order to comply with environmental protection criteria, a silt curtain was installed, secured and maintained for the duration of the remediation. It was approximately fifteen meters from the shore and encapsulated the perimeter of the foreshore remediation footprint.
 Tidal waters flowed freely in and out of various areas of the remedial excavations. To effectively reach the underwater excavation targets without visibility, GPS-controlled excavation equipment was utilized.
 Coordinating marine transport logistics required a collaborative approach between the upland team and the marine team, preparing weekly marine transport work plans as well as “shelf-ready” work plans in the event the first plan could not be realized.
 Hazardous waste PCB soils were specially handled and packaged for rail transport across Canada for treatment and final disposal.

Mike Turner GIT, QM Environmental LP
Mr. Mike Turner is a Project Manager for QM Environmental with over 8 years’ experience in the environmental industry. Mr. Turner’s primarily focus has been contaminated site remediation of federally and provincially regulated properties.

Robert Stacey, ASTTBC
Mr. Robert Stacey is a certified technician with ASTTBC with over 28 years’ experience in the environmental remediation industry. His experience includes a wide variety of disciplines including both project management and site supervisory positions. Projects have included soil and groundwater investigations, environmental site assessments, and remediation projects for contaminated sites.

The Boxwood Ground Improvements Project From Brownfield to Community Connector: Historical Mine Site Remediation in an Urban Setting

The Boxwood Ground Improvements Project is a multidisciplinary community project that combines civil design, geotechnical engineering, ecological and wetland permitting, detailed risk assessment and environmental remediation. The project and property is owned by the City of Nanaimo and has been identified as a key transportation corridor for the community. When constructed, it will transform a long-term brownfield property into value-added municipal infrastructure which will relieve bottle necks within the City limits. The foundational challenges with this project include historical infilling of a former lake with coal waste and other poor-quality fills across the Project area, presenting wide spread contaminated soils with challenging contaminants of concern. In addition, a remnant wetland exists on the Site residual from a former lake and the property is bound by established residential and commercial development. Various environmental investigations have been completed over the past decade, however; with an updated civil design and the need for ground improvements for geotechnical purposes, the environmental remediation and ecological requirements are being integrated into the construction. McElhanney’s work included the completion of multiple environmental intrusive investigations (2016 -2018), including a hydrogeological investigation and a Detailed Human Health and Ecological Risk Assessment for the Site. A project-specific Remediation Plan and Soil Management Plan is being developed for the Site in support of obtaining an Approval in Principal (AiP) and Section 11 Permit under the Water Sustainability Act. The AiP was submitted in November 2018 with project construction to commence in the Spring of 2019. With a successful AiP application, and Section 11 Permit, the remedial strategy combined with clever project design allows for a large majority of the impacted soils to be managed on the Site versus costly off-site disposal.

The presentation will focus on the investigations completed, gap assessments required, Site challenges including permitting and the prospective from the Client.

Allison Waldick P.Geo. is an Environmental Geoscientist with McElhanney Consulting’s Environmental Division located in Victoria, BC. Ms. Waldick has been consulting in environmental site assessment and remediation for contaminated Sites across Canada for the past 8 years. Ms. Waldick’s work has included projects in various provinces and territories and has ranged from small local developments, downstream oil and gas sites, to complex arctic remediations. Clients include all levels of government, private and public organizations. If selected, Ms. Waldick will be co-presenting with Phil Stewart from the City of Nanaimo.

Phil Stewart is a Professional Engineer with a background in stormwater management. Currently, Phil is the Manager of Engineering Projects for the City of Nanaimo responsible for the design and construction of the capital works for the Engineering and Public Works department. Phil graduated from the UBC in 2005 with a Bachelor of Applied Science in Civil Engineering.

Changing Standards and Contaminated Sites – The Legal Perspective

On November 1, 2017, the British Columbia provincial government implemented the Omnibus
Update to the Contaminated Sites Regulation. Generally speaking, the purpose of the Omnibus
update to the CSR was to address new science related to toxicology, exposure and other related
topics for deriving standards. The update was extensive and, in some cases, quite complex. As
part of the changes, the government adopted a mandatory review of the environmental quality
standards on a fixed term cycle every five years.

This presentation will discuss the “legal perspective” on the changes to CSR standards and the
liability impact of evolving standards. For example, it will explore what impacts the changes
have had on the regulation of contaminated sites in the short term and the expected impacts in
the long term. It will also address how these changing standards create uncertainty and risk for
developers/property owners and what steps can be taken to counter this risk. The importance of
the environmental consultant will be highlighted. Finally, the question of future liability if
standards become more stringent or new standards for emerging contaminants are put in force
will be considered, as well as the protections available within the regime to address this
uncertainty. Relevant case law from British Columbia will be reviewed and factual case
scenarios will be used to illustrate key principles.

Adam Way
Adam Way is an associate with Harper Grey LLP, and is a member of Harper Grey’s
Environmental Law Practice Group and Construction Law Practice Group. Adam’s
environmental law practice involves contaminated sites litigation and risk management. On
the litigation side, a large portion of his work relates to recovery of remediation costs
pursuant to the Environmental Management Act and common law and appeals before the
Environmental Appeal Board. Adam contributed to the 2016 edition of the British Columbia
Environmental Management Legislation & Commentary. He is a frequent writer on contaminates
sites issues, having written for publications such as the British Columbia Industry Association
Industry Guide and BC Shopping Centre Association News and Views Newsletter. He is on the
Board of Directors of the BCEIA. Adam was most recently quoted by Business in Vancouver in
a March 2018 article covering the CSR Omnibus Update.

The Latest Trends and Key Issues Before Environmental Tribunals

Environmental tribunals play a critical role in our justice system. They provide an independent review of the decisions of government officials and checks and balances in the administration of environmental laws and policies. They hear some of the most complex technical issues requiring expertise across multiple disciplines, while balancing competing societal objectives. Although their mandates are determined by the Legislature (through environmental legislation in each province), there is considerable variability across the provinces with regards to their jurisdiction, procedures and accessibility. Some are essentially delegated bodies for licensing purposes, while others are quasijudicial tribunals that hear appeals of statutory decisions either as a new de novo hearing or on more limited grounds specified by statute. This presentation will focus on environmental tribunals in BC and Alberta. We intend to highlight the latest cases, issues and trends observed in the last few years, including:
 how tribunals give effect to emerging principles of environmental law created by the legislature;
 their role in interpreting and drawing technical inferences from often broadly written environmental legislation;
 the source of their powers and jurisdiction (i.e. matters they can and cannot hear);
 the deference provided by the courts, including the courts’ reliance on their environmental expertise; and
 the differences in the way environmental tribunals treat legal issues, such as stays and the
 standard of review (when compared to the courts).

Offshore Investigation Techniques for Contaminated Sites

Over the past 10 years, Golder Associates Ltd. has completed multiple offshore investigations using a variety of techniques to examine contaminant migration below surface water bodies. Industrial lands with access to tide water have commonly been more susceptible to groundwater contamination due to historic management practices which preceded modern environmental standards. When dissolved contaminant plumes migrate from such sites towards receptors like rivers, lakes, and marine environments, the logistics of site characterization become substantially more complex. Scientists and engineers investigating these sites must clearly determine the type of data to be collected, and which field methods are most applicable. An iterative approach of data collection and conceptual site model refinement are essential to obtaining a better understanding of subsurface conditions.

Offshore site characterization is generally expensive, and project costs for one round of groundwater and/or sediment sampling can easily exceed $100,000. For deep, three-dimensional characterization of aquifers below a water body, barges or other large vessels are required and sampling necessitates the use of direct push profiling or sonic technologies. These methods can also be supplemented with onshore angled drilling or monitoring well installation in the intertidal zone during opportunistic windows in the tidal cycle.

Low-cost, smaller scale methods are recommended for providing complimentary lines of evidence. When used strategically, these can be equally informative as barge-based drilling or profiling. For example, where groundwater discharge zones are predicted to exist along the shoreline, manual drive-point profiling is often the most practical investigation approach. For discharge zones located further offshore, hyporheic porewater collection can be completed with the KIST sampler (drive-point sampler deployed with slide hammer). This methodology has been successful at depths of up to 20 m, and in challenging estuarine environments with reversing tidal currents.

Due to the inherent risk of working on and near water, the importance of health and safety is emphasized. Additional discussion on sample integrity, cross-contamination, and quality assurance is considered.

Biography – Michael Zima
Michael Zima is a Junior Hydrogeologist with over 2 years of consulting experience in the fields of hydrogeology and contaminated sites. Michael has 4 years of experience with offshore porewater and sediment sampling techniques from research and consulting combined. Other areas of focus include contaminant delineation, groundwater monitoring, infrastructure, mining, and water supply. Michael’s main responsibilities include planning and implementing field programs, analyzing and interpreting data, and numerical modelling. Michael obtained his M.Sc. in Hydrogeology from the University of British Columbia and has presented his research at the American Geophysical Union, the Science Advisory Board for Contaminated Sites (BC), and the UBC Water and Environment Student Talks.