Town council approved recommendations in a report from Public Works and Engineering Director Guillaume Boudrias during its October 26 session. The director’s report follows up on a recent consultant’s report on results of an environmental assessment of the area.

During the past several decades before the boulevard was built and residential development took place, a railway spur line ran through area and it was also the location for several oil storage depots and other commercial/industrial activities. There was also some work done to extend the original shore line for future development using fill material of “unknown quality.”

The municipality launched its environmental assessment of the area after receiving reports from the Ministry of Environment and a local developer about contaminants in the soil that may or may not have their origin in adjacent municipal lots. The town’s own study indicates oil residues and some heavy metals do exist in the area but appear to be contained within two separate sites.

Morrison Hershfield, the consultant firm that did the municipality’s assessment study, recommended further testing to determine the extent of contamination and if it posed any actual risk. Director Boudrias’ report supports the recommendation.

Council voted for further testing of the Chenail Boulevard area and to include $50,000 in the 2021 budget for the cost of the additional testing. Those tests will include water sampling and analysis and a shallow soil assessment along the southern shoulder of the boulevard.

The town will also forward results of its own recent environmental assessment study to the ministry and to the owners of adjacent lands that might be affected by contamination. Municipal staff will also contact landowners with property north of the boulevard to arrange for drilling more boreholes as part of the assessment of the extent of contamination.