London, ON - The Middlesex-London Health Unit, the Ontario Ministry of the Environment and Climate Change (MOECC), the City of London, and the London Transit Commission are continuing their effort to determine the limit of trichlororethylene (TCE) contamination in groundwater and soil in the area of Brydges Street and Highbury Avenue.
A key part of the work is to determine whether any of the chemical may be entering homes and what health risk, if any, may be present. Indoor air quality testing conducted in early March at select homes chosen due to the level of TCE found in soil vapour and groundwater near the properties, shows the health risk is very low. The data is being shared with homeowners today.
The organizations are also expanding the number of groundwater monitoring wells in the area in an effort to identify the extent of the contamination. The assessment area is now bounded by Wilton Avenue to the north, Highbury Avenue to the east, Brydges Street to the south and Ashland Avenue to the west. Officials are distributing information packages to about 135 residences in the area today.
Work in the neighbourhood began after TCE was detected during testing of groundwater samples collected during assessment work last year at nearby commercial and industrial properties. The contamination could be related to operations at the LTC property on Highbury Avenue, which occurred decades ago.
“As the current land owner, we’re working in collaboration with the Ministry of Environment to determine the source of the contamination and what remediation efforts may be required,” says Kelly Paleczny, General Manager of the London Transit Commission.
TCE is used for cleaning and degreasing metal parts and is found in several common consumer products, including glues and adhesives, paint and spot removers, rug cleaning fluids, paints, and metal cleaners. At very high or prolonged exposures, such as for those who work with TCE in industrial settings, it may cause cancer and other health effects.
See attached area map (PDF)
Media contact:
Dan Flaherty, Communications Manager, Middlesex-London Health Unit, 519-663-5317 extension 2469 or 519-617-0570 (cell.)