Sewergate: Hamilton says cleaning up Chedoke Creek sludge will take until summer 2022
Hamilton says it cannot vacuum up the sewage sludge coating the bottom of Chedoke Creek until at least eight months after the deadline in a provincial cleanup order.
Now it's up to the Ministry of Environment, Conservation and Parks to decide whether to give the city more time.
The Spectator revealed in late 2019 that an open sewer gate spilled 24 billion litres of sewage into the west-end creek and Cootes Paradise over four years. The city initially argued no further cleanup was needed - but Ontario rejected that do-nothing approach" last November and ordered dredging in the creek.
The order says the city must submit a plan to dredge pollutants out of Chedoke Creek by Feb. 22 and complete the underwater cleanup by the end of October.
An update report going to councillors Tuesday says the city will submit a plan on time, but the tricky environmental cleanup will not be done before the summer of 2022 - assuming no unforeseen challenges arise."
The city's consultant, Wood Environmental, has warned the in-creek dredging project could end up requiring permits from, or consultation with up to seven different provincial and federal departments, as well as the Hamilton Conservation Authority.
Actual dredging - as well as straining and trucking away contaminated muck - will likely take anywhere from four to six months. An early estimate by the consultant suggested there is enough sewage-laced sediment on the creek bottom near Cootes Paradise to fill about 530 large dump trucks.
The city summary report says more testing is needed to determine how much sludge must be removed and from which sections of creek. It plans to choose a specific dredging technology and identify cleanup locations by the end of this July.
An early consulting report suggested popular soccer destination Kay Drage Park could be used for temporary sludge storage, but no location has been confirmed yet. The city is also expected to consult with community agencies like the Royal Botanical Gardens, which manages Cootes Paradise.
Tys Theijsmeijer, RBG's head of natural lands, has previously expressed hope some Chedoke sediment would be removed, calling the polluted sludge an ongoing threat" to the health of the protected Cootes marsh.
The cost of dredging is still unknown, but early estimates of $2 million were likely on the low end," according to city public works head Dan McKinnon.
The report to councillors said the province will review the order timeline, but so far has not agreed to extend the dredging deadline. It is not clear what penalty the city would face in if fails to do the work on time.
The ministry previously told The Spectator it considers Oct. 31 an attainable goal" to finish dredging. But spokesperson Jennifer Hall said Friday the ministry would consider an extension if the city experiences unexpected delays" in getting required permits.
The city is also expected to meet a March 22 deadline to submit a plan to deal with spill pollution in Cootes Paradise marsh.
Separately, the city faces two pollution charges under provincial environmental laws related to the four-year sewage spill into Chedoke Creek.
The city was originally slated for a first court appearance Feb. 3, but a COVID courthouse shutdown means that date will be rescheduled.
Matthew Van Dongen is a Hamilton-based reporter covering transportation for The Spectator. Reach him via email: mvandongen@thespec.com