Water bomb
Torbay mayor says blow-up pending over contamination
Not only are contaminants from the airport wreaking havoc with Torbay’s development, they pose a risk to residents in homes where hydrocarbons were later discovered.
The town learned of the groundwater contamination after a Transport Canada report in 2011. However several recent development applications have been turned down because of it.
“In the next month or so, there’s going to be a lot more noise about this because it puts our town in a very serious situation,” Mayor Ralph Tapper said.
“We didn’t want to alarm the community. We know (the contaminant) is not moving, but we notified the residents in the Pine Ridge subdivision that there is a risk, and that is why we have put a freeze on development in the area.”
The contamination goes west of the bypass road up to the RCAF Road and takes in Pine Ridge Subdivision up to the airport boundary.
It is also prevalent around the Jack Byrne Arena and Quarry Road Extension. The 100 or so homes built there are on large, unserviced plots, with drinking water coming from wells deeper than the pollutants.
Tapper said the town has been told further development could jeopardize their water sources.
“We’re not worried about homes that are serviced. It’s the ones that need to use the wells,” he said.
“That is our major concern right now. We’d like to develop the area, but that could possibly draw contaminated ground water to already existing homes, and the only safe way is to get it serviced, which is going to take big money.”
Tapper said the Transport Canada report concluded chemicals used for de-icing planes and at the nearby fire fighter training centre were factors in the pollution.
As a result, South Pond — which the town had considered using for water — was decommissioned in 2013 and land prime for development was frozen.
Tapper has seen the report, but was told it can’t be released.
He asked St. John’s East MP Jack Harris to work on getting it out there.
Harris told The Telegram he managed to get a copy, but it was of little use because it was all redacted.
“It doesn’t provide information that people need,” he said.
Transport Canada’s communications department said it would look into the issue and contact The Telegram Monday.
The mayor noted all affected homeowners have received letters in the past.
The town will send more and set up a meeting.
“We wanted to keep a lid on it, because we didn’t want to panic anyone, but the whole issue now for us is to get that area serviced and we’re looking to tap into St. John’s (water),” he said.
Tapper said a team is looking into that possibility and a report is expected this spring.
“We’re getting legal opinions. It’s going to be a major blow up eventually,” he said.