Soil Characterization + Remediation

The Problem

Historical filling activities within Vancouver’s Chinatown area has created many properties with poor quality surficial fill soils.  Ambleside Environmental (Ambleside) was engaged to characterize the soils intended to be shipped offsite during development, and subsequently design and implement a remediation plan due to the discovery of contaminated fill soils.  The site was an operational parking lot with development plans into a multi-unit residential property in Vancouver, BC. A test pit program identified site-wide fill soils exceeding applicable Contaminated Sits Regulation (CSR) Industrial Land Use Standards and a portion exceeding applicable hazardous waste regulations.

The Solution

Ambleside completed the project using our experience with City of Vancouver (the City) permits to obtain a Development Permit for Remedial Excavations on behalf of the Client.  A Soil Remediation Checklist was lodged to the City at the completion of soil characterization.  The Soil Remediation Checklist included: excavation and shoring details; structural drawings; survey plan; remedial plan; erosion and sediment control plan; BC Ministry of Environment (BC MOE) Site Profile; geotechnical letter of assurance; landscape clearance; and archeological clearance, etc. The contaminated fill soils exceeding applicable hazardous waste regulations had the necessary management systems in place for appropriate offsite disposal.  

A test pitting program was utilized to: 1) compare soil to regulatory standards (including soil relocation standards) prior to shipment/disposal offsite, and 2) delineate onsite (and offsite) soil contamination.  Analysis of soil samples determined concentrations of regulated contaminants exceeded applicable standards.  A remediation plan was developed and implemented by Ambleside.  The remediation plan included the excavation and removal of contaminated soil offsite to an approved treatment facility.  Ambleside manifested this material during redevelopment excavation, allowing continual completion progress.  Once soil was removed, Ambleside Environmental field staff collected closure soil samples to determine the remaining soil onsite met applicable standards.  

The Benefits

Our expertise with permits and approvals greatly simplified the permit process for the Client and in the end the Client was issued a permit without any significant deviations from the project scope and budget.