A brownfield redevelopment case study: Assessment of the environmental conditions and remediation options using life cycle assessment for the former Davis Tannery property, Kingston, Ontario

Brownfields are abandoned or under-used sites where past industrial or commercial practices have caused real or suspected environmental contamination. One such site, the Former Davis Tannery Property (FDTP) in Kingston Ontario, was once the home to a lead smelter and leather tannery. This site offered an opportunity to evaluate recent Ontario guidance for brownfield redevelopment. As a result of historic industrial activities, the following three inorganic substance exceed provincial environmental standards in FDTP soils: arsenic, trivalent chromium and lead. The highest chromium concentrations were found in the wetland on the northern edge of the property where the tannery used to discharge its wastes, and the highest lead concentrations were identified around the foundation of the old smelter in the southeastern portion of the site. The potential impact of the contaminants of concern (COCs) was examined using both a traditional risk assessment approach as well as one that incorporated bioaccessibility adjustments; these provide a more realistic estimate of actual risk. This assessment showed that all three COCs posed a potential risk to human health at some concentrations. In order to redevelop the site into a residential neighbourhood, three remediation technologies (containment barrier, excavation and landfilling and soil washing (Mechanical Separation and Water Processing (MSWP)) were selected to undergo a life cycle assessment (LCA). The aim of the LCA was to identify the remediation option which would result in the smallest environmental consequences. The findings of the LCA indicate that the MSWP would have the smallest impact on the environment.;Keywords: Brownfield, site investigation, life cycle assessment, remediation, human health risk assessment...