The City of Victoria is facing a big bill to remediate historic contamination at Laurel Point Park.
Tomorrow, council will decide whether to approve a budget of $3.1 million for the project. And there is some urgency to get to work.
Transport Canada will begin remediation of its portion of Laurel Point in September – and it has agreed to cover some of the joint-project costs, if the city is able to meets its project timelines. Victoria stands to save more than $1 million by coordinating with the federal government, which would pay for site security, barge access ramps, and other management costs.
Transport Canada estimates remediation will take 12- to 18 months to excavate up to seven metres of contaminated soil, and dispose of it offsite. The area will remain closed to the public during this time. The project will go out to tender in June.
Laurel Point was once home to a paint factory, and starting in 1905, the site was infilled with a mix of unknown materials. Tests of the park site have found metals, petroleum hydrocarbons and other contaminants in the soil and ground water that exceed regulatory standards.