It appears that a potential environmental disaster has been prevented as a result of prompt action by the provincial environment ministry and others (Fire runoff had little impact on creek, inspection shows, Kristy Nease, Ottawa Citizen, May 5, 2010). A large fire burned through some 800 crushed cars at a scrap metal yard close to Green’s Creek over the past weekend. Green’s Creek flows through a large environmental conservation area downstream of this scrap yard. Officials appear to be satisfied with clean-up efforts so far, so hopefully a potential disaster has been avoided.
The bigger questions now are:
- Why do zoning regulations allow a scrap yard facility to be located adjacent to a creek that runs into a conservation area?
- Don’t environmental assessments look at issues like this?
- Why were effective risk mitigation measures not put in place?
- Was an EA ever conducted?
- How many more environmentally sensitive areas are at risk in the city?
The city conducts many EAs but near disasters continue to occur. Assessments don’t seem to be worth the paper they are written on. Rather, they appear to be used to address political and business agendas of councillors, staff and developers.
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