No chemicals found in residents’ properties near old wood processing plant

Contaminated soil found on old Domtar site Potentially dangerous chemicals have been in undeveloped areas of a new development. CTV Edmonton’s Matt Woodman explains.

More fencing went up in a new development in northwest Edmonton after potentially dangerous contaminants were found in the soil of a section of land that’s undeveloped and unoccupied.

The area is located on the former Domtar processing plant and chemicals were found in neighbouring parcels of land earlier this year.

More testing needed to be done to find out if there were any chemicals in the Verte Homesteader community.

After 250 surface soil samples were taken, results brought relief for residents: there are no health concerns in the surface soil of people’s properties.

“In homeowners’ backyards, the testing did not find any contaminants. There’s nothing above human health risk,” said Deena Hinshaw, deputy chief medical officer of health with the province.

The samples did find dioxins and furans in four areas in the community, but those areas have not been developed yet.

Now the province is working to find out where those chemicals originated from.

On Thursday, new fencing went up to ensure people do not access the spots where the contaminants were found and deeper soil testing is underway.

“We can’t say where those dioxins and furans came from. We know that there were dioxins and furans found in Parcel Y that were quite high,” Hinshaw said.

Chemicals of concern were initially found in Parcels X, Y and the Green Belt.

‘Needless concern’: developer

Cherokee Properties, the site’s developer, said about 800 soil samples were taken before Verte Homesteader was developed. Its managing director, John Dill, said the new findings reinforce it is a safe development.

“These findings confirm what we have been saying all along,” Dill said in a press release. “The actions taken by the ministry have generated needless concern.”

He said the province and city had previously given the development the green light after getting a remediation certificate, approvals for subdivision, site plan and building permits.

“We continue to be at a loss to understand why the Ministry of Environment and Park has taken such actions in the manner they have,” Dill said.

Cherokee will present its concerns regarding the government’s actions next month at an environmental appeals board.