Environmental Protection Order issued to owners of former Crossfield retail fuel site

Overview

• On June 18, 2014, Alberta Environment and Sustainable Resource Development (ESRD) was served with a motion of record from Grant Thornton Limited, the court-appointed receiver of Steel Design & Fabricators Ltd, that indicated that on July 8, 2014, the receiver intended to make application to abandon properties in the Town of Crossfield located at 1316 and 1318 Railway Street.
• The motion identified that the decision to abandon the Railway Properties was due to the discovery that there was contamination on the site.
• ESRD requested and received a copy of environmental site assessments ordered by the receiver which determined the site contained contaminated soil and groundwater that exceeded provincial limits.
• ESRD also identified potential contraventions of the province’s Environmental Protection and Enhancement Act.

Terms of the Environmental Protection Order

Under the terms of the order, Steel Design & Fabricators Ltd. and Grant Thornton Limited  must:

• submit and complete an investigation plan of the sites’ contamination;
• submit a remediation plan based on the findings of the investigation; and,
• undertake remedial activities to address contamination that exceeds the government’s Tier One contamination criteria.

Environmental Protection Orders are a remedial tool to ensure that action is taken to fix an environmental problem. They are one of many tools – including education and prevention – used by Environment and Sustainable Resource Development to ensure all Albertans can continue to enjoy a safe and healthy environment.