Excess Soil Explained featured image
Excess Soil Explained
Management of excess soils often considers environmental impact, regulatory compliance, transportation logistics and potential reuse or disposal options.
O.Reg. 406/19 – Ontario’s On-Site and Excess Soil Management Regulation featured image
O.Reg. 406/19 – Ontario’s On-Site and Excess Soil Management Regulation
O. Reg. 406/19 impacts most development projects in Ontario, particularly construction sites, road and highway projects, landscaping and earthworks, pipelines and utility installations and brownfield site remediations.
Did You Know AEL Offers On-Site Testing Services? featured image
Did You Know AEL Offers On-Site Testing Services?
On-site laboratory testing is a practical and proven approach to directing site work and screening sample results during field activities. Using Triad strategies recommended by the US EPA, technologists process a high volume of soil samples, screening based on individual site characteristics, and provides quality screening data within minutes. On-Site testing of soil or groundwater…
Developing a Conceptual Site Model- Contaminant Pathways and Receptors featured image
Developing a Conceptual Site Model- Contaminant Pathways and Receptors
When developing a conceptual site model (CSM), the focus moves from the initial review of background information to the identification of potential contaminants of concern. Investigation into the site’s historical background should identify past site owners and operators, which would identify contaminants likely to be present at the site. For example, if past operations on…
Not Just “Dirt”: Why Does Clean Fill Matter? featured image
Not Just “Dirt”: Why Does Clean Fill Matter?
Soil Management involves the consideration of different soil standards that the MECP has outlined in O.Reg. 406/19, and which are determined by property use.
Site Screening – Using On-Site Soil Testing To Reducing Uncertainty in Phase II ESAs featured image
Site Screening – Using On-Site Soil Testing To Reducing Uncertainty in Phase II ESAs
When completing a Phase II Environmental Site Assessment (ESA), proper site characterization is essential to the investigation. It is important to gain a clear understanding of site conditions in order for the Qualified Person (QP) to give an accurate report at the conclusion of the ESA. On-site screening is one strategy that strengthens the investigation…
Remediation Approach: Screening and On-Site Testing at Remote Sites featured image
Remediation Approach: Screening and On-Site Testing at Remote Sites
On remote sites, like those in Canada’s Far North, the cost of traditional remediation can be astronomical. Because these sites are often beyond the access of landfills, soil transport and disposal can make traditional “dig-and-dump” remediation too expensive to pursue. For this reason, AEL believes that remote sites are often ideal locations for choosing alternative…
Remedial Approach Selection – Giving a Thoughtful Evaluation of Strategies featured image
Remedial Approach Selection – Giving a Thoughtful Evaluation of Strategies
Not every remedial approach will work on every site. Certainly not every remedial approach is ideally suited for every site. AEL takes a careful approach to evaluating and selecting remedial strategies that are matched to the client’s specific goals for the site. When a Phase II ESA finds impacts above the allowable limit on a…
Understanding A CSM – Using On-Site Testing to Strategically Fill Data Gaps featured image
Understanding A CSM – Using On-Site Testing to Strategically Fill Data Gaps
The Triad approach is a set of three strategies, supported by the US EPA, which is widely recognized as the proven modern standard for characterizing and remediating impacted sites. While Canadian regulation does not specifically rely on the Triad approach (although it may introduce similar regulation at some point), Canadian best practices do favour the…
Changing Course in a Phase II ESA featured image
Changing Course in a Phase II ESA
As an environmental consulting team, AEL understands that even the best laid plans may need to change during a site investigation. Recently, we began investigating a site near Toronto and found evidence of a buried tank that had not been evident in the Phase I ESA. The team had to change the areas of focus,…