[hockey.modern]

Firm hired for six-month study of West Village contamination
http://calgaryherald.com/news/local-...-contamination

Starting Nov. 10, WorleyParsons will begin drilling and collecting soil samples at several locations on the site, which is currently occupied by several car dealerships, a Greyhound terminal and Pumphouse Theatre.

The company will also review reams of historical documents and earlier environmental reports, the CMLC said in a statement.

“We are initiating a three step environmental assessment … to understand the degree of contamination and the impact of contamination on the site’s redevelopment potential,” Michael Brown, president and CEO of the CMLC, said in a statement.

“Historical documentation and environmental reports produced for the City of Calgary point to varying degrees of contamination in the area – the result of previous heavy industrial use,” Brown said.

Both Mayor Naheed Nenshi and Environment Minister Shannon Phillips have said the polluter should foot the bill for the remediation.

The CMLC, a subsidiary of the city overseeing the redevelopment of the Rivers District (which includes the East Village), has been tasked with analyzing the environmental contamination in the West Village.

The land corporation earlier hired a law firm, Dentons Canada, to complete a regulatory and liability analysis related to the polluter’s role in remediating or mitigating the site.

“It is still too early to assume how development can responsibly occur in West Village but we are committed to working with the city to answer the right questions,” added Brown.

A full report will be shared with the city in April 2016.