Booth Street Complex Remediation Project

NRCan initiated remedial activities at the Booth Street Complex (BSC) in December 2009 beginning with the Southeast Quadrant (SEQ), followed by the Northwest Quadrant (NWQ) and ending with the entrance to 601-615 Booth Street and the Central Quadrant (CQ) of the Booth Street Complex (BSC) in 2011.

In the 1990s, NRCan completed several environmental studies of the BSC to evaluate possible environmental impacts at the site. In 2001, NRCan completed a comprehensive study of the property. This study confirmed that certain areas of the BSC were contaminated. In 2001-2002, NRCan conducted a Site Specific Risk Assessment at the BSC to determine if there were risks to human health and the environment resulting from the contamination. The conclusion of this study was that risks to human health and the environment were not imminent, and could be managed. In 2001, NRCan established a risk management program to ensure no adverse risks to human health and the environment could occur due to the contamination

With the announcement of the Economic Action Plan (EAP), new funding has become available through the Federal Contaminated Sites Action Plan (FCSAP), a program designed to help federal departments address their contaminated sites. Remediation of these properties will remove the contaminated soil and possible risks to human health and the environment, and future risks of contaminant migration. The Northeast Quadrant (NEQ) and Southwest Quadrant (SWQ) will continue to be risk managed according to the 2002 risk management plan by NRCan for the former and PWGSC for the latter.

Contaminants at the Booth Street Complex

The environmental impact of daily activities was largely unknown in the past. Activities that would not be tolerated today were often common practice. It is only in the last few decades that environmental regulations and best practices began to influence business practices at the BSC. Contamination of the BSC is thought to have occurred inadvertently through historical land uses.

Sources of environmental contamination at the site are thought to have come from: the storage of various materials, waste management practices, use of fill (during construction of the earlier buildings), rail and lumber yards, as well as gas stations that were on the site. Other commercial/industrial activities which could have negative impacts on the environment occurred near the BSC including gas stations, automobile garages and mechanical shops, dry cleaners, etc.

The groundwater has been tested and monitored during various environmental site assessments and as part of the risk management plan since 2001. Based on these results, groundwater was found to be impacted with low levels of heavy metals, however, in Ontario, in the areas where groundwater is not used as a source of drinking water; remediation of heavy metal impacted groundwater is not recommended. Since the City of Ottawa provides water to the Booth Street Complex and surrounding areas, remediation of the groundwater on-site is not required at this time.

Radiological contaminants were tested in previous studies. Only one sample (out of 336) was deemed to be significantly above background levels. This reading was compared to the Canadian Guidelines for the Management of Naturally Occurring Radioactive Materials (NORM). The incremental dose is much lower than the Canadian guideline, and therefore, the single measured dose that exceeded background levels is not considered to pose a significant external radiation hazard (Site Specific Risk Assessment, TROW, 2002).

Clean-Up of the Booth Street Complex

Clean-up of the BSC will be completed in four stages: the SEQ and NWQ will be cleaned-up winter and spring of 2009-10, followed by the entrance to 601-615 Booth Street in the fall 2010, the CQ will be remediated in the late fall and winter 2010-2011.