"Projects that involve dumped soil near groundwater are highly risky and there are lots of provincial rules about preventing soil from getting in them, says retired water resources engineer Ian McLaurin. "Groundwater is what we drink," McLaurin, who has his own water well at his home in Durham Region and serves as volunteer advisor for upset residents, told CBC Toronto. "We pull it straight out of the ground and we drink that stuff totally untreated, and so that's why we're concerned about soil going into water," he said."
"Many residents question whether the town will be able to ensure their water will be protected and the soil will be free of pollutants. In Ontario, there are examples of other fill projects that have both succeeded and failed. However, asked for a similar case as what's proposed at Swan Lake, where a rehabilitated gravel pit filled with groundwater was used as a site for excess soil, neither experts quoted for this story could name one."
A May motion opened the possibility for a developer to import excess soil onto a Caledon property containing a rehabilitated gravel pit filled with groundwater, known locally as Swan Lake. Residents worry that dumped soil could contaminate groundwater used by private wells. Retired water resources engineer Ian McLaurin called soil dumping near groundwater highly risky and noted provincial rules aim to prevent soil entering groundwater. Ontario has examples of both successful and failed fill projects, but no expert could name a directly comparable case of a groundwater-filled gravel pit used as a fill site. The mayor said the project has not been approved.
Read at www.cbc.ca
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