Ontario Environment Minister Calls for Inco Cleanup

The Ontario (Canada) Ministry of the Environment issued a draft order to Inco Ltd. to clean up 25 properties in the Rodney Street community in Port Colborne, Ont., where levels of nickel in soil are in excess of 8,000 parts per million.

The draft order also requires Inco Ltd. to undertake further soil sampling and to clean up any additional properties shown to have soil-nickel levels above 8,000.

The decision to issue a draft order to Inco Ltd. to clean up the nickel contamination is based on the ministry's Soil Investigation and Human Health Risk Assessment for the Rodney Street Community, Port Colborne, October 2001 report which was issued late last month.

In preparing the report the ministry commissioned different and more sophisticated testing which provided significant enhancements to the human health risk assessment. In addition, the ministry enlisted an expert international peer review to ensure that the report was revised to include the most precise and leading-edge science.

The report also assessed lead levels in soil. Residents of 11 properties where lead-soil concentrations are greater than 1,000 ppm were provided with information on ways to reduce their exposure.

The draft order and report will be posted on the Environmental Registry for a 30-day public review and comment period. The Registry can be accessed from the Environmental Bill of Rights page on the ministry's Web site at www.ene.gov.on.ca.

After the 30-day public comment period, the ministry will consider all comments received on the draft order and report.