Gas migration from former landfill sites could impact plans to build supportive, modular homes on Vespra Street in Barrie.
At the very least, a risk assessment could be needed for the site of the proposed $3-million project, says Ontario’s Ministry of the Environment, Conservation and Parks (MECP).
“The ministry is aware of the property located at 65 Vespra St., because the City of Barrie has completed environmental investigations of historic waste disposal sites in the area and identified landfill gas to be in the vicinity of the property,” said MECP spokesman Gary Wheeler.
Landfills in this area operated until the mid-1960s, says Golder Associates in a 2017 report commissioned by the city. There were landfills, for example, on both sides of Bunker’s Creek in an area bound to the west by Anne Street, Bradford Street to the east, Perry Street to the north, and to the south by Victoria Street.
On Nov. 17, 2020 in the MECP’s regular liaison meeting with Barrie’s environmental department, the 65 Vespra St. property (a former fire hall) was discussed, Wheeler said, and the city indicated it was looking at the potential for affordable housing to be developed at the site.
“At that time, the ministry indicated that the City of Barrie would need to address any potential for landfill gas migration from the historic waste disposal sites in the area and that a record of site condition (RSC) would need to be filed with the ministry prior to changing to a more sensitive land use, such as residential,” Wheeler said.
Lindsay Davidson, MECP spokeswoman, said gases produced through the decomposition of organic material in landfill sites are approximately 50 per cent methane, the primary component of natural gas, and 50 per cent carbon dioxide, or CO2.
“Methane gas, if it accumulates in sufficient amounts and is exposed to an ignition source, can be explosive,” she said.
Andrea Miller, Barrie’s general manager of infrastructure and growth management, said the city is aware of the gas migration.
“There is work already being completed by the city as part of our historic waste site monitoring program to monitor environmental influences in the area around Vespra, including the gas noted by MECP,” she said. “This work has been going on for several years. This work is not specific to any properties, but it certainly will inform work needed for specific sites, like Vespra (Street).”
Miller said D-4 studies are required to assess site specific details, and this is noted in the consultant work completed for the city for the Vespra Street property. D-4 studies are normally done by the applicant seeking development approval. The city would normally receive a completed D-4 study, and any required mitigation, in the clearance of conditions of a development approval, she said.
The ministry Guideline D-4 Land Use on or Near Landfills document is a guide for land-use planning authorities on how to decide what types of land uses are appropriate near landfilled waste, Wheeler said.
“The city will note the D-4 study requirement as part of the terms/principles for site development that will form part of the RFP (request for proposals) seeking someone to construct and operate the (supportive, modular housing) site as per council’s direction,” Miller said.
Last month, council added $3 million to its 2021 budget for a supportive, modular housing project on Vespra Street. One-person, 450- to 500-square-foot, stackable housing units, each costing about $195,000, will be built at the former Barrie fire-hall site.
That cost includes a $500,000 estimate for soil remediation (capped at $750,000) and the total cost of the development will be funded from debt, with final amounts to be determined through request-for-proposals planning and approval of a building proposal, with the annual debt servicing costs to be paid from the city’s reinvestment reserve.
After consulting with the County of Simcoe and social agencies dealing with homelessness, and before issuing the request for proposals, community and corporate services general manager Dawn McAlpine will report back to Barrie councillors on the target residents for the project, subsidy sources, key project parameters and how the city’s funding can be leveraged to access other funding opportunities.
City staff will then issue a call for proposals for a service provider to construct and manage the project, and operate the housing units.
Staff will also hold a neighbourhood meeting with the successful proponent and area residents to get feedback to help the overall implementation of the project.
Under the Environmental Protection Act and Regulation 153 (Records of Site Condition, or RSC), a property’s use shall not be changed to a more sensitive one unless a record of site condition has been filed in the ministry’s Brownfields Environmental Site Registry.
A record of site condition outlines the environmental conditions of the soil, ground water and sediment at, on and under a site confirming its suitability for the intended property use from an environmental perspective.
The ministry deems the former use of the property at 65 Vespra St. as a fire hall to be "commercial" property use under Reg. 153 and as such, a proposed change to affordable housing would be deemed a change to the more sensitive "residential" property use under the regulation and require the filing of a RSC.
An RSC must be submitted and filed to the Environmental Site Registry, Wheeler said, if a property owner wishes to change the use of a property from a commercial, industrial or community use to a more sensitive use, such as agricultural, institutional, parkland, or residential use.
The city has said the Vespra Street site’s use is to be a social services facility; as defined in the city zoning bylaw, it provides social services support which may include counselling, recreational facilities, education and training, places of assembly, temporary lodging, serving meals and offering daycare. The Ontario government defines supportive housing as a combination of housing assistance and supports that enable people to live as independently as possible in their community.
“At this point, it is unclear how the property will be used,” Wheeler said. “‘Social services facility’ is not referenced in O.Reg. 153/04, and the ministry recommends that the proponent engage the municipality, as ultimately the municipal building official will make the decision as to whether a record of site condition is required.”
Landfill gas is not directly addressed through the ministry’s RSC process, Wheeler said, as the regulation only addresses soil, ground water and sediment conditions for specific parameters at, on or under the site.
“If a risk assessment is required to file a Record of Site Condition for the site, then actions (typically risk-management measures) to mitigate any potential risk from landfill gas migration may be included in the risk assessment process,” Wheeler said. “A risk assessment is required when a site is unable to meet generic site condition standards under the regulation.
“At this time, no risk assessment has been initiated or completed for the site,” he added.
Under the Planning Act, planning authorities ensure that the appropriate policies are in place and assessment be completed for proposed developments within 500 metres of the waste disposal site, open or closed.
Typically, requirements for mitigating the potential for landfill gas migration would be addressed through the completion of this assessment, Wheeler said.
