Watch above: Contaminated soil from downtown condos being dumped on rural land. Mark Carcasole reports.
TORONTO – Tonnes of toxic soil excavated as a result of Toronto’s construction boom is being dumped on farmlands across Ontario and the exact whereabouts are unknown.
A report by the Toronto Star on Monday revealed that the Ontario government doesn’t track the locations of where construction soil is discarded until they are “discovered accidentally.”
The contaminated soil contains dangerous materials such as heavy metals and petroleum.
The newspaper says the Ontario Waste Management Association has seen a drop in the number of trucks transporting dirt to special landfill sites designed to manage the soil and the final destinations continue to be a mystery.
Environment Minister Glen Murray admitted to the Star that better controls and regulations are needed to dispose of the toxic soil.
The province and several agencies were unable to provide soil location details from big projects like the Pan Am Athletes’ Village when asked by the newspaper.
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