All levels of government are celebrating a significant step in the Randle Reef Remediation Project, which aims to restore the water quality and ecosystem health of the Hamilton Harbour.
Stage 2 of the $138.9-million project is now complete, with more than 615,000 cubic metres of contaminated sediment from the Hamilton Harbour now walled off in a massive engineered containment facility (ECF).
“This is a major milestone,” said Steven Guilbeault, Canada’s minister of environment and climate change, during Wednesday’s announcement in front of the facility at Pier 16.
“It’s been a big undertaking and an important project. In fact, the approach of managing contaminated sediment in an engineered containment facility is a first in Canada.”
The harbour was identified as an Area of Concern under the Canada-United States Great Lakes Water Quality Agreement in 1985 because of the water quality, which had deteriorated through a legacy of industrial processes dating back to the 1800s.
The provincial and federal governments, cities of Hamilton and Burlington, Halton Region, Hamilton Oshawa Port Authority and Stelco, have all contributed to the cost of remediating the 60-hectare site.
Downtown Hamilton councillor Jason Farr, who acted as deputy mayor for the announcement, commented on how the project has been crucial in improving the state of the harbour.
“For decades, Randle Reef has been the largest and most contaminated site within the Canadian side of the Great Lakes, and Randle Reef has been an environmental hot spot – soon known as an environmental success story,” said Farr.
The third and final phase of the project will involve building a “multi-layered environmental top” over the ECF in order to isolate contaminants.
Roger Santiago, the head of the sediment remediation unit for Environment and Climate Change Canada, said that will include components like gravel, sand and other “impermeable” layers, topped with an asphalt surface.
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He said it will then be turned over to the Hamilton-Oshawa Port Authority (HOPA), which will be in charge of monitoring and maintaining the area, ensuring none of the contaminated sediment ends up back in the harbour.
The capping process is expected to begin this fall and will wrap up by the end of 2024 when HOPA will take over.
“We’re going to use it to generate revenue from leasing space that will be reinvested in modernizing port facilities and infrastructure and creating new, efficient, multimodal connections,” said Ian Hamilton, the port authority’s president and CEO.
“We were on the top of the most contaminated Areas of Concern in the Canadian Great Lakes, and we strive to be on the top of most lists, but that’s one we’re delighted to get off of.”
– with files from Ken Mann, Global News
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