The Coalition for a Better St. Catharines, a local citizens’ advocacy group, has released new evidence it hopes will force the province and the city to take immediate action to clean up the half demolished former GM manufacturing site on Ontario Street.
Coalition spokesperson Dennis Van Meer says recent testing by the Ministry of the Environment Conservation and Parks and a report from environmental experts proves dangerous contaminants are leaving the site and entering Twelve Mile Creek.
Van Meer says the data shows metals, PCBs and other industrial chemicals are clearly leaving the site and entering Twelve Mile Creek where it flows past the former GM property through the Henley rowing area and into Lake Ontario.
He notes many of these industrial chemicals, such as Cadmium, are toxic to aquatic habitats and human health,and they have been found in quantities greatly exceeding the province’s own water quality guidelines.
The former GM plant has been sitting abandoned for over a year after its owner, Bayshore Groups informed the city it is no longer interested in redeveloping the brownfield site.
In January, St. Catharines council agreed to spend $125,000 on an action plan to try to bring an end to one of the city's biggest eyesores.
Council voted to hire an external legal firm to see what can be done to clean up the old plant.