If you’ve been curious about the pit in the Alberta Avenue Community League parking lot, the mystery is solved. Due to contamination from a former service station, the city hired Whissell Contracting to remove the soil. Shannon Brennan, a community recreation coordinator with the city, answered questions about the project.

Tell me about the remediation project.

The City of Edmonton has contracted Whissell Contracting under the direction of Nichols Environmental Consultants to conduct remediation at 9210 118 Avenue. The construction area will extend from the western boundary of the parking lot to the west side of the central meridian (just past the north access), and from the southern boundary of the parking lot to the northern boundary. To ensure the safety of local residents, construction will take place inside the fence and flagging personnel will be onsite during any trucking activities. Construction is from Monday to Saturday, 7 am – 7 pm.

Why is the soil remediation necessary?

An environment site assessment confirmed hydrocarbon concentrations in the soil and groundwater exceed the Alberta Environment Guidelines. This contamination was caused by a former service station that operated on the site from 1932-1967.

When did the city decide to do the remediation?

Several tests have been conducted from 2009 to 2015 to identify the levels and boundaries of contamination. In 2015, the recommended course of action was to remediate the site to eliminate any concerns going forward. In September 2016, plans for the work were postponed until spring 2017.

How does the remediation work?

The process involves excavation, removal and offsite disposal of the contaminated soil by truck. Clean soil will be imported by truck and used to re-fill the area. When the remediation is complete, the site will be returned to a parking lot.

Why are contractors putting rubber lining in before filling up the pit again?

There is some residual hydrocarbon concentrations on the walls of the excavation. The lining is in place to prevent the residual hydrocarbons migrating into the excavated area.

Why did they have to dig down seven metres?

That was the depth of the impacted soil.

When will it be finished?

The completion date is August 31 (weather dependent).

Featured Image: The soil remediation project is expected to finish by Aug. 31. | Steven Michos