Hamilton Harbour: Randle Reef Environmental Mediation Project

Hamilton Harbour was designated an Area of Concern under the Canada–US Great Lakes Water Quality Agreement due to long-term contamination, degraded water quality, and loss of fish and wildlife habitat. FRPD, in joint venture with Milestone Environmental Contracting, was selected to deliver Stage 2 of the Randle Reef sediment remediation project—one of the largest contaminated sediment cleanup efforts in Canadian history.

Problem

Decades of industrial activity left Hamilton Harbour with heavily contaminated sediments containing PAHs and other toxins. The project required the removal or encapsulation of contaminated material across a large footprint, strict environmental controls, precision dredging and the construction of a secure engineered containment system. Some sediment areas could not be removed and required alternative stabilization methods.

Solution

FRPD–Milestone JV executed a comprehensive sediment remediation program that combined hydraulic and mechanical dredging, a specialized water- treatment plant and sediment capping. FRPD completed this work with a cutter suction dredge capable of hydraulically dredging contaminated material and pumping it via floating pipelines to a 6.2-hectare engineered containment facility (ECF). From this facility the water was treated and released back into Lake Ontario. FRPD also utilized mechanical means for dredging areas of the harbour and for placing capping material.