Cleanup of chemicals at North Bay airport to begin within weeks

Cleanup set to begin at North Bay airport The cleanup of so-called 'forever chemicals' at North Bay's airport will begin within weeks.

Remediation work at the North Bay Jack Garland Airport is set to begin in the next few weeks.

At Tuesday night’s meeting, city council awarded a $7.3 million contract to Clean Harbors Canada Inc. to begin the work, which will include the remediation of contaminated soil, groundwater and surface water.

The cleanup is focused on per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS), often described as 'forever chemicals.' They are a large, complex group of synthetic chemicals that have been used in consumer products around the world since the 1950s.

The substances were first detected by the North Bay Parry Sound District Health Unit in December 2016.

"I think everyone's glad to see physical steps are actually being taken now moving forward to remediate the situation," said Coun. Chris Mayne.

The PFAS hotspot, according to the city, is on airport lands. The property was used for firefighter training from the mid-1970s to the late 1990s.

The substances were in firefighting foam that seeped into the soil, moving through groundwater into Lee's Creek.

That waterway is connected to Trout Lake, the source of drinking water in North Bay.

In May, the city, the Department of National Defence, the Ministry of the Environment and the health unit held information sessions to update the public on the work that had been completed at the time.

More than 200 people took in the sessions.

"A lot of people are concerned," Mayne said.

"For the many people who were at the spring public consultations, the real question was, when are we going to physically start to do something? That's what's happening now."

Current scientific research suggests that exposure to certain PFAS may be harmful to human health, including such effects as:

• Changes in cholesterol and liver enzyme levels

• Small changes in infant birth weight

• Changes in the immune system and response to certain vaccines

• Increased risk of high blood pressure in pregnant women

• Increased risk for certain cancers

However, the level of PFAS detected in North Bay is lower than the current drinking water screening values set out by Health Canada.

In 2017, the Ministry of Environment set interim limits for PFAS levels in drinking water of 70 nanograms per litre, equivalent to around 3.5 drops in an Olympic-sized swimming pool.

But Health Canada is currently proposing a much tougher limit of 30 nanograms per litre and North Bay's drinking water would exceed that level.

The Department of National Defence is paying $19.4 million of the $20 million cost of the North Bay cleanup, with the city funding the remaining $600,000.

The cleanup includes treating contaminated soil. A barrier will also be installed to prevent more PFAS from getting into the environment.

A long-standing drinking water advisory for Lee’s Creek remains in place. There’s also a fish consumption advisory in place for fish from the creek.

City officials told CTV News on Wednesday that the work is scheduled to begin sometime around the middle of October.