Turbulent terminal

Picton Terminals receives list of orders from the Ministry of Environment and Climate Change

In the continuing saga of Picton Terminals, the Ministry of Environment and Climate Change has now issued a Provincial Officer’s order to Picton Terminals ensuring all salt piles currently stored on site are to be covered with tarps by November 29. The terminal has also been asked to do the following:

• Provide the ministry notification seven days prior to receipt of any product or material accepted on site, complete with a detailed description of preventable measures are being taken to avoid offsite impacts
• Prepare an interim action plan for the management of stormwater at the site
• Prepare a “Best Management Practices Plan” for the control of fugitive dust emissions
• Prepare a “Monitoring Workplan” including both ground and surface water monitoring
• Prepare an “Environmental Site Assessment Work Plan” for the neighbouring property.

These items will all be checked by a federal regulatory body to ensure completion. If the items have not been completed, the terminal could face further fines or restrictions.

Picton Terminals has also been asked in a separate order under the Environmental Protection Act to hire a qualified professional to create an action plan to deal with the stormwater runoff from the terminal.

“The requirements specified in this order are necessary to prevent, decrease or eliminate an adverse effect that may result from the discharge of contaminants from the facility and from the presence or discharge of such contaminants from the site.” (Taken from the official report made by Provincial Officer Shannon Kelly)

With two regulatory bodies involved in making sure Picton Terminals is acting accordingly, the public is now able to see clear deadlines that the company can’t dance around. In a local radio interview on Monday, Ben Doornekamp hinted at the regulatory bodies not being clear in what was expected of the terminal. There is no question about what is expected now. With varying reports coming from multiple sources about the quantity of salt lost onsite, the only way to be sure is by the Doornekamp family adhering and complying to the regulations set out in the report.