Stuyvesant Environmental Contracting received an award to demonstrate soil treatment technologies in a Sediment Management Facility (SMF) to treat contaminated soils from the Waterfront Toronto designated area. The project was awarded by ‘Toronto Waterfront Revitalization Corporation’ to the team Tetra Tech Construction Canada Inc. and Stuyvesant Environmental Contracting Inc.

Quote Waterfront Toronto:
"Created in 2001, Waterfront Toronto is a tri-government funded corporation with a 25-year mandate to revitalize 800 hectares of brownfield lands on Toronto’s waterfront. Its vision for the waterfront is sustainable, mixed-use communities and dynamic public spaces that appeal to citizens of Toronto and visitors around the world.

“The revitalization of Toronto’s waterfront is the largest urban redevelopment project currently underway in North America, and it is one of the largest waterfront revitalization efforts ever undertaken in the world.

Much of Toronto’s waterfront was constructed by filling in parts of Lake Ontario with materials that are considered contaminated by current standards. Impacted soils are currently widespread throughout the Designated Waterfront Area. Conventional treatment of contaminated soil is to “dig and dump”, a practice that simply transfers the contaminants and problem to another location. As part of our sustainability objectives, Waterfront Toronto wants to use the latest and best technologies to wherever possible treat and reuse soil rather than "digging and dumping". The purpose of the soil recycling facility is to treat soils near their source, divert soils from landfill, and provide a source of treated soil that can be used in the revitalization of the waterfront. The pilot facility will allow Waterfront Toronto to identify the range of treatment options and costs of remediating soil; to confirm that impacted soil can be treated to standards required to support revitalization activities; and to showcase treatment technologies. The pilot will also enable us to better assess the effectiveness and economic performance of the technologies and optimize operational features before committing to a full-scale facility”.

Sustainable development is embedded as a core principle in every aspect of Waterfront Toronto’s approach to waterfront revitalization. Beyond developing beautiful and functional public spaces, Toronto’s waterfront revitalization is laying the foundation for green, liveable and prosperous communities. Our sustainable waterfront communities will enhance the environment, benefit the economy and produce social-cultural gains in a triple bottom line approach."

The project is expected to start in July 2010. An important driver behind the revitalization of the area are the Pan Am games in 2015. After a successful demonstration project Waterfront Toronto anticipates the need to manage up to approximately 2,000,000 cubic metres of contaminated soils over the next 10 to 20 years.

For more information please visit the Waterfront Toronto website.