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Project update
December 23, 2021
The Ministerial Order from March 12, 2019 outlines requirements for Cherokee Canada Inc., 1510837 Alberta Ltd. and Domtar Inc., related to the former Domtar site (44th Street and 127th Avenue, Edmonton, Alberta).
- Map – Domtar site overview (PDF, 3.7 MB)
The Ministerial Order indicates the companies must submit work plans and complete remedial work within the communities and on the former property within specified periods to protect environmental and human health and ensure effective remediation.
The government has completed a review of the required site assessments and risk assessments and completed the determination of the site-specific remediation criteria, as required by the Ministerial Order. To view the site-specific remediation criteria decision document, visit the Government of Alberta Open Publications site at:
The Office of the Chief Scientist provided a peer review of the site-specific remediation criteria decision by completing an independent, external scientific review of relevant information considered in the department’s site-specific remediation criteria decision under the Ministerial Order.
These criteria enable government to provide direction on the expectations for remediation and risk management plans, as well as long-term monitoring plans. Remediation plans for Parcel Y (the former Domtar facility), as well as risk management plans and long-term monitoring plans related to the berm and greenspace along the CN railway (Parcel X, Parcel C berm, Parcel Y berm and the greenbelt behind the Overlanders community), have been received and are under review by government, independent technical experts and the Office of the Chief Scientist. The plans will be used to determine allowable future development activities on the former site.
The government will ensure that all approved plans and activities on the site meet the applicable site-specific and provincial standards for the protection of human and environmental health and that the required properties are remediated to the applicable site-specific and provincial standards. Remediation is not expected or required within the Verte Homesteader community or the Overlanders community.
The Department is planning on engagement with the local neighbourhoods in early 2022, once the remediation plan for Parcel Y and the risk management plans for the berm and greenspaces have been received and reviewed, but before decisions have been completed on the plans. More information will come in early 2022 on the nature of the engagement.
About the 2019 Ministerial Order
The Ministerial Order, based on recommendations from the Environmental Appeals Board, refocused the department’s management of the former Domtar wood preserving facility and issues in neighbouring communities. Above all, the concerns for the health and welfare of local residents remains paramount for government. The order – and accompanying environmental protection orders – clearly stated the need to protect human and environmental health.
The Ministerial Order also directed the companies to provide activity updates directly to residents every two months. Once reports are accepted in final format by the Department, summaries of reports and access to reports will be made available by the companies through their community websites. Information from Cherokee Canada can be obtained through their website Homesteader Responds. Information from Domtar can be obtained through their website Overlanders Community Update.
For Albertans seeking specific information on the Ministerial Order and accompanying environmental protection orders, this information can be found on the Environmental Appeals Board’s website at:
- Alberta EAB Report and Recommendations – February 26, 2019 (PDF, 12.6 MB).
Timeline on progress
The figure below outlines the current state of progress within the Ministerial Order.
Click image to view in PDF (568 KB)
In our commitment to keep residents updated on progress, Alberta Environment and Parks (AEP) will be maintaining an action item timeline below as milestones (as set by the order and represented in the figure above) are reached.
Action items from Ministerial Order
| Action Item | Cherokee Status | Domtar Status |
|---|---|---|
| Short term dust control plan | Received; no approval required | Received; no approval required |
| Long-term dust control program | Approved | Approved |
| Delineation plan | Approved | Approved |
| Site Delineation | Received – To Be Updated Based on Remediation and Risk Management Plan Submissions | Approved |
| Conceptual Site Modelling | Received – To Be Updated Based on Remediation and Risk Management Plan Submissions | Approved |
| Site Specific Risk Assessment | Approved | Approved |
| Human Health Risk Assessment | Approved | Approved |
| Overlanders Remediation Plan | Not Applicable | Not required |
| Parcel C Remediation Plan | Approved with no further action required. | Not Applicable |
| Risk Management Plan | Received, Under Review | Received – Under Review |
| Long Term Monitoring Plan | Received, Under Review | Received – Under Review |
| Reclamation and Remediation Plan | Received, Under Review | Not required |
As announced in March 2019, Alberta Health continues to work with federal experts to conduct a field epidemiology investigation.
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