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Bronte Creek clean up could take more than a year Continued from page 1 3 · Wednesday, April 28, 2010 OAKVILLE BEAVER · www.oakvillebeaver.com notified the Ministry of the Environment of a leak in one of its gasoline pipelines, which is buried only 350 metres north of where the Bronte Creek slick was seen. The pipe, which carries a variety of petroleum products to the Suncor facility and is located two metres underground, was fixed and returned to service, however, it was previously estimated 100 litres of gasoline were lost as a result of the leak. The Ministry of the Environment is requiring Trans-Northern to clean up the site and outline the extent of the contamination, which now appears greater than originally believed. "We're mapping out the plume of the contamination underneath the surface. There has been a little bit of seepage out of the bank of the creek and the booms running parallel to the creek are designed to catch that, but we've also noticed that there appears to have been a little bit of movement (of the gasoline) underground," said Gary Robinson, Trans-Northern manager. "Part of the remediation plan is to mitigate or intercept this, so we dug an interceptor trench at the south end of the site Saturday and we've also got some additional investigative work that we're trying to do to figure out how this product moves so quickly underground." Robinson said while the leak was found on ERIC RHIEL / SPECIAL TO THE BEAVER CONTAINMENT: Trans Northern has set up containment booms on Bronte Creek underneath the Radial Bridge on Rebecca Street west of Bronte Road to contain a gas spill. Company officials say the clean up could take more than a year. March 16, it had probably been leaking since around March 11, the day the slick appeared in Bronte Creek. This is perplexing for Robinson because it means the gasoline moved more than 300 metres in just a few days, if not hours. "On clay soils it would take weeks or months for that to travel just a couple of dozen feet," he said. Through the use of a ground penetrating radar, Robinson believes he has found an answer to this riddle in the form of an ancient river bed, which may have served as a pathway for the gasoline and allowed it to move so quickly. With the extent of the contamination now known, the task becomes keeping it from spreading and cleaning it up. "This site is not conducive to digging and dumping (the contaminated soil). You can't just go down there and make it into an open pit mine, Bronte Creek is too valuable a resource to treat it that way," said Robinson. "We are looking at bio-remediation, which means we can inoculate the subsurface and the ground water with a nutrient material that actually consumes hydrocarbon, but we have to be very careful that these things don't start eating other things that are down there naturally. So that's still being assessed." A chemical material that dissolves gasoline is also being considered by Environment Canada and the Ministry of the Environment, as an option to oxidize the fuel. Whatever method is chosen, Robinson says Trans-Northern is there for the long haul with the clean up process expected to take as long as a year or two. "Long-term cleanups take time. We are a responsible company and we have taken responsibility for this and we will do what has to be done in order to clean it up," said Robinson. "We are going to be a neighbour in Oakville for many years. We've been here since 1952 and we hope we have another 50 or 60 years of pumping in this pipeline of ours." Environmental consultants for TransNorthern are present at the site and the Ministry of the Environment is continuing to visit the site to ensure adequate spill control measures are in place and that progress is being made. OAKVILLE'S ORIGINAL BOOTCAMP Enlist today! INDOOR & OUTDOOR FITNESS TOTAL BODY CONDITIONING Free hearingand over test For those 55 years old ring Aid Special f rom $295 He a y River Oaks Community Church 2435 Munn's Avenue East 5:30am and 6:30pm Small Class Sizes Ensure Guaranteed Results 905.808.4055 www.survivorbootcamp.com If within 60 da we will give you a 100% refund chase · The latest in hearing technology available · Over 20 years experience · We are an authorized clinic for DVA, WSIB and Green Shield clients Call now to book your appointment: 905-827-7333 Hopedale Hearing Clinic In Hopedale Mall, next to the CIBC 1515 Rebecca Street, Unit 38, Oakville · 905-827-7333