Northstar can release treated groundwater into Grand River

Northstar Aerospace has secured another approval for the cleanup of contaminated groundwater beneath its Bishop Street plant.

The Ministry of the Environment says the treatment being provided on-site at the Cambridge plant, to remove a noxious solvent called trichloroethylene, is working well.

Because of this, Northstar has been given the go-ahead to discharge treated groundwater into the Grand River, through a storm sewer.

Previously, treated groundwater had to go into sanitary sewers, for further treatment.

Skipping municipal treatment does not threaten drinking water or river quality, said Mohamed Dhalla of the Ministry of the Environment.

"The water that comes out after the treatment is very, very clear. The treatment is quite effective," said Dhalla, a supervisor of environmental approvals. "We are quite satisfied."

The change, approved in May, affects only the cleanup of the Northstar property itself.

Northstar is in the first phase of a three-part plan to clean the solvent from beneath the plant, from nearby industrial areas, and finally from a contaminated neighbourhood.

"We're always pleased when the ministry is satisfied," Northstar spokesperson Judy Scott-Walpole said.

But Debbie Vitez, who sold her affected home near the Northstar plant in February, is unimpressed with environmental reassurances.

"The Ministry of the Environment is not on our side," said Vitez, who remains bitterly concerned about the health effects of exposure to the industrial solvent.

Long-term exposure to the solvent, used in manufacturing, can increase the risk of cancer.
more from The Record