Lead in St. B soil samples exceeds safety limits Province cites byelection for silence on 'urgent' issue By: Ben Waldman Posted: 7:00 PM CDT Tuesday, Jul. 17, 2018

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This article was published 16/07/2018 (2257 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

Soil samples from at least 24 properties in South St. Boniface’s Dufresne neighbourhood contain amounts of heavy metals — including lead — well beyond acceptable levels, a comprehensive analysis of yards and gardens in the area has shown.

University of Manitoba scientists found that of 150 properties analyzed, 16 per cent of all samples exceeded the Canadian Council for the Ministers for Environment soil-quality guidelines. Dr. Francis Zvomuya, the study’s lead scientist, says the most concerning result was that 18 properties had levels of lead higher than 140 milligrams per kilogram of soil, the maximum amount considered safe.

On Cherrier Street, Gary Tessier’s soil reached as high as 222 milligrams of lead per kilogram of soil. On Kavanagh Street, Paul Demarcke’s property was found to have 169. Zvomuya said those figures aren’t terribly high, but they’re still concerning.

“Anything above 140 isn’t good,” he said. “Once that’s exceeded, it means there’s a risk, and you must exercise precaution.”

Zvomuya recommends thoroughly washing and peeling produce, as well as adding new soil into old plots to dilute possible contaminants. “I think there’s some panic out there, but you can still eat your vegetables,” he said.

Scientists can’t yet determine the origin of the lead, but Zvomuya estimates it could stem from old paints or leaded gasoline deposits in the heavily industrialized neighbourhood.

Last summer, residents grew concerned when soil from locations near the Mission Industrial Park, taken by Zvomuya, showed high levels of metals such as zinc, copper and lead. Many feared whether they’d be able to eat their produce, but provincial representatives assured them there was nothing to worry about.

“All the soil samples taken in the residential and recreational areas showed no reason for concern,” provincial sustainable development minister Rochelle Squires said in an October news conference.

Zvomuya quickly issued a correction saying the data set was too small to provide any valid conclusions for residents. Then, the provincial government began funding the most recent soil study, which drew multiple samples from 150 properties.

But for Darlene Thurston, 52, who has lived in the neighbourhood her whole life, the initial announcement signalled an all-clear, so she grew a garden at the home she shares with her 85-year-old father. After receiving results from the tested samples from her property that showed heightened levels of lead, Thurston was frustrated and confused.

“I planted another garden because I was told it was safe,” she said. “If I would’ve known, I wouldn’t have put all the time and effort into putting in my own garden.”

Thurston figured the soil pollution would’ve been a key factor in Tuesday’s St. Boniface byelection, but said when campaigners came to her door, most had no clue the issue existed.

A spokeswoman for the South St. Boniface Residents Association said they met with all candidates throughout the campaign, and each said it was an important issue to address. “We hope whoever gets elected keeps it in mind,” she said.

Adding to the soil study confusion was the byelection news blackout, which restricted communication from the provincial government and delayed a formal alert to the public, despite the inherent public safety interest involved.

Squires told the Free Press Tuesday she’d known of the results for more than a week before residents were told, but wasn’t able to discuss them publicly. “It gave me great discomfort that I wasn’t able to go public the minute I found out about this and wasn’t able to hold a press conference and have full disclosure,” she said. She called the high levels of metals an “urgent” issue.

The provincial government decided to not release any information regarding the soil study due to a legal opinion from the Crown’s counsel, a government spokeswoman said.

St. Boniface Coun. Matt Allard was “extremely concerned” about the results, saying he’d thought previous analysis had shown contamination only on industrial sites. He said he’ll be meeting as soon as possible with Don Labossiere, the province’s director of environmental compliance and enforcement, to address the matter.

Residents plan to meet with Zvomuya soon to ask additional questions, the residents association spokeswoman said. But until then, she said, “we are as perplexed as everybody” as to the impact of the metals or how the government is planning to address the situation.

For now, Thurston remains frustrated, and hopes her vegetables are safe to eat as Zvomuya advises.

“(Last year), we were told everything was OK,” she said. “Nobody seems to have a clue what’s going on.”

ben.waldman@freepress.mb.ca

Twitter: @benjwaldman

Ben Waldman
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Ben Waldman covers a little bit of everything for the Free Press.

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