HISTORICAL
EFFORTS
Mid-1980s
Greenhill tank is constructed and, soon thereafter,
residents begin to complain about severe odour problems.
Summer
1994
Dr. Sorger's students sample at Greenhill, Queenston,
Melvin, and Bancroft outfalls. At all locations,
total coliform levels are high — averaging
in the 200,000 total coliform/ 100 mL range —
with a high of 2,500,000 per 100 mL in the constant
trickle at the Greenhill outfall.
Summer
1995
Dr. Sorger's students sample at sewer outfalls in
and around Buttermilk falls and the Upper Ottawa
Street landfill.
Summer
1996
Dr. Sorger's students sample the Davis Creek —
a tributary to the Red Hill Creek — and find
more problematic sewer discharges.
Spring
1998
Dr. Sorger's students sample at the Greenhill tank
again. This time, total coliform counts are as high
as 6,400,000 per 100 mL and E. coli counts are as
high as 220,000 per 100 mL.
Summer 1998
Concerned residents write a letter to Mr. Leo Gohier
from the former Regional Municipality of Hamilton-Wentworth's
Environmental Services Department raising concerns
about the Greenhill site and, more specifically,
the continuous trickle from the outfall pipe, the
presence of the stagnant pool at the end of the
outfall pad, the easy public access to the contaminated
pond, and the lack of warning to the public of the
dangers at the site.
Mr. Gohier responds to Ward 5 Councillor Chad Collins
that there is no need to post public warnings at
the site but Collins pushes and signs are installed
indicating that the area 'may be contaminated'.
Staff also indicate that the continuous trickle
is simply groundwater welling up into the concrete
pipes via cracks. The fence at the edge of the pond
is also extended slightly, but no other work is
done to rectify the problems at the site.
Summer
1999
The Sierra Legal Defense Fund and the Environmental
Bureau of Investigation work with concerned citizens
to begin sampling at the Greenhill trickle and pond.
Results indicate a violation of provincial and federal
environmental laws and SLDF warns that the former
region is vulnerable to charges. Citizens again
raise concerns and the region responds by regularly
pumping out the pond at the end of the Greenhill
outfall.
At
the same time, the region begins a class assessment
in order to secure approvals to twin the combined
sewer overflow tank and the drop shaft which brings
sewage and storm water over the escarpment and down
into the Red Hill sewer line. Concerned residents
attend the Open House and, again, raise concerns
about the continuous trickle, the severe odour problems,
and the contaminated pond at the base of the CSO
outfall spill pad.
Summer
2001
By now, the new city no longer pumps out the Greenhill
pond. It is left filled to the brim, directly discharging
contaminated water to the Red Hill Creek 24 hours
a day, 7 days a week.
Fall
2001
Dr. Sorger's students return yet again to Greenhill
where contamination persists — this time with
levels of total coliform as high as 37,000 per 100
mL and E. coli levels as high as 4,200 per 100 mL.
Winter
2001
The final class assessment report for the Greenhill
Tank twinning, while it acknowledges the concerns
raised by citizens and concurs that there is a problem,
proposes no solution to rectify the problem.
In
February,
several residents subsequently submit bump-up requests
to the provincial Minister of the Environment, raising
concerns about the failure of the class assessment
to address all concerns at the site. The bump-up
constitutes a call for a more thorough evaluation
of the project.
By
March,
a meeting is organized by the new City of Hamilton
to resolve citizen concerns. At this meeting, residents
learn that a walk-in investigation of the outfall
pipe has confirmed that faulty seals are allowing
raw sewage to discharge out of the pipe — causing
the contaminated trickle that has existed at the
site for almost a decade.
The city commits to putting a temporary seal in
place to stop the leaks. It also promises to begin
to investigate options for addressing the scour
pond at the outfall apron with the goal being that
within the year a solution will have been constructed
or at least be 'well underway'. The city also promises
to keep bump-up requesters notified of its progress
and the resolution of problems at the outfall.
Summer 2001
Some residents withdraw their bump-up requests,
not wanting to delay the twinning of the Greenhill
tank, but still raising concerns with the Ministry
of Environment regarding the continuous trickle
and the contaminated pond. Others leave their bump-up
requests in place in hopes that the city will address
their concerns more thoroughly.
Fall
2001
After receiving no updates from the city on progress
with respect to the Greenhill situation, a citizen
bump-up requestor contacts the city to determine
whether any progress has been made. The city explains
that it will address the trickle problem through
replacement of a diversion structure within the
pipe — but that this is best left for when
the new tank is built. The city also indicates that
options to resolve the problems with the scour pond
continue to be explored in the hope that solutions
will be identified in a short while.
MORE RECENTLY
August
30, 2001
Residents in the Waterloo Street neighbourhood at
the north end of the Red Hill Valley observe a fuel
oil spill on the creek surface. They trace the source
to an outfall pipe discharging from the Paling truck
wash directly into Red Hill Creek. Paling subsequently
diverts its truck wash flow from the creek to the
sanitary sewer so that it can be piped away for
treatment.
September
6 , 2001
While in town with his patrol boat, Lake Ontario
Keeper Mark Mattson joins Lynda Lukasik for a walkabout
along the Red Hill Creek, starting at the Brampton
Landfill. They soon observe that the surface of
the creek is completely coated in an oily, sweet
smelling material. They trace the source to the
Bancroft outfall near the main CN rail line. At
the Bancroft outfall, there is a small scour pond
which is filled with a milky-coloured oily substance.
The spill is reported to the MOE and to the City
of Hamilton.
September
13 2001
Environment Hamilton's Lynda Lukasik begins regular
bike rides down to the valley to check sewer outfall
pipes. A trip back to the Bancroft outfall results
in a call to the MOE spills line again because the
same oily substances is being discharged.
September
14, 2001
Another bike trip results in the observation of
a discoloured and foul-smelling discharge from the
Brampton outfall. Spill reported to the City of
Hamilton.
September-October
Observations made by Lynda on days when there should
not have been significant discharges coming out
of the storm sewers or the combined sewer outfalls
(ie. It hadn't rained for at least 24 hours) reveal
that there are problem discharges coming out of
the Brampton outfall approximately 40% of the time
and out of the Bancroft outfall approximately 50%
of the time.
October - November
Lynda moves upstream to determine the condition
of additional outfalls. She observes constant flows
from storm and combined sewer outfall pipes on the
east and west sides of the creek at Melvin Avenue.
At Queenston, there is an incredibly stagnant and
long channel way running from a combined sewer outfall
to the creek. The water in the channel way is a
chalky green colour. The Queenston channel itself
contains a storm sewer outfall.
On
October 29th,
the tail end of a severe spill event is observed
at the Queenston channel storm sewer outfall. A
blackish grey substance is observed discharging
from this outfall. The substance has coated half
of the concrete channel and the downstream natural
channel with a fine black-grey particulate. When
this material is stirred up, it creates oily deposits
on the surface of the water. Where this material
has settled, the creek appears black.
Dr.
Joe Minor gets involved in the investigation, raising
concerns about the fact that the annual salmon spawn
is underway and the fish must make their way through
black waters. He estimates that approximately 800
litres of this black discharge has ended up in the
creek ecosystem. After several visits and much convincing,
the city agrees to take a sample of the material.
The results of this analysis have not yet been provided
to concerned citizens.
December
12, 2001
The Hamilton District Office of the Ontario
Ministry of the Environment issues four orders against
the City of Hamilton for allowing the discharge
of contaminants from storm and combined sewer outfalls
into the Red Hill Creek.
December
21, 2001
Environment Hamilton makes a public announcement
regarding the four MOE orders, applauding the MOE's
efforts to enhance and protect the Red Hill Creek
ecosystem. See comments below...
Environment
Hamilton News Conference
Comments
by Lynda Lukasik, Executive Director
Thank
you for joining us here this morning. My name is
Lynda Lukasik. I am joined here today by my associates
from Environment Hamilton — Don McLean and
Brian McHattie. We would like to extend a warm welcome
to residents of the Rosedale neighbourhood who have
joined us today.
We
at Environment Hamilton are pleased to announce
that, after many years of frustrated citizen efforts
to see water quality problems in the Red Hill Creek
resolved, the city of Hamilton is now being required
to undertake a comprehensive evaluation of the impacts
of sewer discharges into the creek.
This
is because on December 12th of this year, the Hamilton
District office of the Ministry of the Environment
issued four orders against the City of Hamilton.
These orders all relate to problems associated with
storm and combined sewer outfalls discharging directly
into the Red Hill Creek. These contraventions all
fall under section 30 (1) of the Ontario Water Resources
Act — and, as the orders state, relate to the
fact that the city is causing the "discharge
of/ or permitting the discharge of a contaminant
into the waters of the Red Hill Creek that may impair
the quality of the waters".
I
am now going to briefly walk you through the details
of these orders. Following this, we would like to
put the problems in the creek into perspective.
Don McLean will provide an overview of the history
of citizen efforts to see many of these problems
resolved, and I will finish with an overview of
recent efforts. Finally, we will be more than happy
to take anyone who is interested down to see the
Greenhill tank outfall area firsthand. It's an experience
you won't want to miss and one that you'll never
forget!
The
first of the four Ministry orders
This order is an overarching requirement that
the city conduct a comprehensive assessment of all
discharge points to the Red Hill Creek.
Justification
for the requirement rests on the following facts:
THE
CITY MUST COMPLY WITH THESE REQUIREMENTS BY JULY
1, 2002.
The
second and third orders
These relate to the Bancroft storm sewer outfall
and the Brampton storm sewer outfall - both located
in the northern stretches of the valley.
At
these sites, the Ministry indicates that these sewers
have discharged contaminants to the natural environment
on numerous occasions. Further, the Ministry states
that
"both the routine inspection frequency and
the spill investigation procedures appear not to
be adequate (by the city) given the repeated nature
of spills".
For
these sites, the city must develop, document, and
implement a comprehensive inspection and maintenance
plan to monitor the discharges for spills and other
discharges of concern and to respond to and cleanup
such discharges.
THIS MUST BE COMPLETED BY JANUARY 31, 2002
At
both of these outfalls, the city must install &
maintain a semi-permanent boom — as a minimum
preventive measure against spills from these sewers.
THIS
MUST BE COMPLETED BY JANUARY 11, 2002
Finally,
the fourth order
This order relates to the Greenhill
combined sewer overflow tank outfall — a facility
just beyond where we are standing right now. This
order has emerged out of the Ministry's acknowledgment
of the fact that "the contaminant flow from
the combined sewer overflow outfall is determined
to flow to the natural environment at all times
(24 hours per day) even when the combined sewer
overflow is not in an overflow conditions".
The
ministry also indicates that the "combined
sewer overflow effluent contributes directly to
the contamination of a pond and associated channel
which convey the effluent from the combined sewer
overflow to the Red Hill Creek".
Therefore
the city is required to undertake the following
measures at Greenhill:
At
the same time the City of Hamilton delays
solving its sewer problems, Environment
Hamilton and the Lake Ontario
Keeper team up as part of a new
project to monitor river contamination
around Lake Ontario. 