Waterfront Toronto established the Port Lands Pilot Soil Recycling Facility in July 2010 as part of our soil management strategy and overall commitment to sustainability. The objective of the pilot is to determine the viability of treating and reusing impacted soil as an alternative to the traditional "dig-and-dump" disposal of brownfield soil.

For the pilot, the latest and best technologies available were used to treat contaminated soils including soil washing, complemented by field trials of a number of other cutting-edge technologies.

Following an international request for proposals and a rigorous review, two teams - DEC, in partnership with Coffey Geotechnics, and Tetra Tech/Stuyvesant Environmental Contracting - were chosen to conduct the soil recycling pilot. Both teams operate similar facilities in Europe and the United States.

After consulting the public and stakeholders and obtaining all necessary Ontario Ministry of the Environment approvals, the pilot facility was set up in the summer of 2010. In the fall, the operators processed soil from waterfront site employing soil washing, complemented by field trials of a number of other cutting-edge technologies.

Waterfront Toronto’s innovative approach to soil remediation and the pilot facility were recognized with a 2010 Canadian Urban Institute Brownie award.

Prior to committing to a full scale soil recycling facility, Waterfront Toronto decided to conduct the pilot. The goals of the pilot are to identify the range of treatment options and costs; confirm that impacted soil can be treated to standards set by the Ministry of the Environment Brownfield Regulation; and showcase treatment technologies.

Soil recycling is innovative in the Ontario context, and has only been used rarely in a few Canadian locations.

The pilot facility will help determine the viability of treating and reusing impacted soils in Toronto and will enable Waterfront Toronto to assess the effectiveness and economic performance of the technologies and optimize operations before developing a full-scale facility.

The pilot is a first step in the larger plan to treat contaminated soil to an environmental condition that allows it to be reused in future residential, parkland and commercial areas.

Soil recycling is an opportunity to turn contaminated soil into a resource instead of a liability. Recycling soil has the potential to change the way impacted soil is managed in Ontario.

The revitalization of Toronto’s waterfront is one of the largest urban brownfield remediation projects in the world. Revitalization of the waterfront area depends on the ability to deal with soil that has been impacted by decades of industrial uses, and by infilling long ago when environmental standards were not as stringent as today.

Waterfront Toronto anticipates that it will need to manage approximately 2,000,000 cubic metres of contaminated soil over the next 10 to 20 years. By recycling waterfront soil, Waterfront Toronto would be treating soil near its source, diverting soil from landfill, and providing a source of treated soil that can be used in waterfront revitalization projects.

Soil treatment and reuse prevents contaminated soil from being disposed of in landfill, which reduces Green House Gas (GHG) emissions by reducing transport needs (trucks are major GHG contributors), as well as revitalization costs by decreasing the quantity of clean soil required for use in waterfront revitalization projects.

The processing stage of the soil recycling pilot wrapped up in 2010. Between September and November, approximately 20,000 cubic metres of soil was processed by the facility operators. They then compiled detailed reports on the results.

During the first half of 2011, Waterfront Toronto will complete its evaluation of the pilot test results and determine a go forward plan.

The pilot soil recycling facility was shut down for the winter.

If the pilot confirms the technological, environmental and economic viability of the soil washing process for treating and reusing impacted waterfront soils, Waterfront Toronto will consider proceeding with a larger-scale facility within the next three to five years.

Every effort is made to ensure that the pilot soil recycling facility is operated in a way that is protective of human health and the natural environment.

Before receipt at the pilot facility, soils undergo pre-testing to determine quality, and the levels and types of contamination. Soils containing hazardous waste are not accepted at the facility, but are disposed of at anOntario Ministry of the Environment (MOE) licensed hazardous waste landfill facility.

Dust control, air monitoring, water, and runoff control measures are in place as part of the pilot’s operational procedures.

In addition to the measures noted above, the Unwin site is managed by The Cannington Group, a full service contractor serving the Province of Ontario. They are responsible for facility management and maintenance services, including the management of all incoming soils, stockpiles and project records.

Cannington is also responsible for implementing the onsite health, safety and environmental management plans, including dust monitoring and management, emission control, and the construction, management and monitoring of the storm water management pond, the mobile water treatment unit, and the silt fence that controls potential runoff from the site.

As Site Manager, they developed and managed the overall Health and Safety Plan, including the visitor training program and traffic management plan, as well as monitoring the pilot’s operators to ensure compliance with all health, safety and environmental requirements.