Media Release
Chedoke Creek spill update: City of Hamilton receives additional Orders from Ministry of the Environment, Conservation & Parks
NOVEMBER 20 2020
HAMILTON, ON - Earlier today, the City of Hamilton received an additional Provincial Officer’s Order from the Ministry of the Environment, Conservation & Parks (MECP) as they relate to a spill into Chedoke Creek.
In 2019, the MECP ordered the City to complete an Environmental Risk Assessment of Chedoke Creek and an Ecological Risk Assessment for Cootes Paradise. These studies both found that it was not possible to attribute environmental impacts experienced in these areas exclusively to the spill.
The Order received today requests that the City undertake remedial action for Chedoke Creek and Cootes Paradise. In part, the Order asks that the City develop a plan for targeted dredging in Chedoke Creek and recommends mitigation measures to improve water quality in Cootes Paradise.
The City is committed to continuing its full cooperation with the MECP’s investigation and staff will be consulting with Council regarding how we can best address the environmental concerns in Chedoke Creek and Cootes Paradise.
To date, in response to the spill, the City has taken a number of actions toward addressing the impacts of the discharge, including:
- Undertaking clean-up of the creek, including removing 242,000 litres of “floatable material” from the surface and edge of the creek.
- Initiating regular monitoring of water quality in impacted areas of Chedoke Creek.
- Initiating and implementing enhanced inspections of wastewater facilities and equipment.
- Undertaking expert studies to determine what kind of further remediation is appropriate for Chedoke Creek and Cootes Paradise.
- The approval of four new staff members to increase the City’s ability to perform regular, routine physical inspections and preventative maintenance for City water infrastructure, as well as sampling and analyzing water and wastewater quality in Hamilton.
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