The local MPP for St. Catharines is urging General Motors to take responsibility for cleaning up its old site on Ontario Street.
The city reports that the building is at risk of collapsing, and residents are worried about possible soil contamination, but GM insists that the property was compliant when they left over a decade ago.
The former General Motors facility is teetering on the edge of collapse in a residential area of St. Catharines.
Residents have expressed frustration as the building has deteriorated since the GM plant closed more than ten years ago.
One individual told CHCH News that homeless people frequently visit the site, prompting emergency crews to respond almost daily.
The property was bought by Bay Shore Groups in 2014, who began demolition shortly thereafter.
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Last week, the City of St. Catharines conducted an assessment after receiving numerous complaints regarding the site.
Inspectors discovered that parts of the roof and several walls at 282 and 285 Ontario Street were already collapsing and posed further risks of crumbling.
The city is requiring building owners to either fix the damages or initiate demolition proceedings with hopes of eventually redeveloping the property.
In a statement, St. Catharines Mayor Mat Siscoe reassured residents that “the property owners will be held accountable to the orders that have been issued.”
However, local residents are also anxious about potential contamination from the factory’s operations.
A nearby resident shared with CHCH News their concerns about contaminants potentially leaching into groundwater and whether this issue is being monitored as foot traffic increases in the area.
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This concern was raised by local MPP Jennie Stevens during Wednesday’s session at Queen’s Park, where she called on officials to enforce accountability under the Environmental Protection Act for General Motors regarding cleanup costs.
“Families deserve to know their water, and their soil, and the air they breathe is safe,” said Stevens, “and taxpayers should never and should not be left paying to clean up the mess.”
General Motors stated that when it “sold the Ontario Street property in 2014, it was in good condition and met Ontario environmental requirements.” The company added, “we are encouraged that the City of St. Catharines has issued orders to the current owners of the property to continue steps towards redevelopment of the site.”
Ontario Environment Minister Todd Mc Carthy addressed concerns during Wednesday’s Question Period, noting that Bay Shore Groups – now responsible for ownership – has complied with directives aimed at reducing dust and chemical hazards.
“The work has been completed that we directed to be done – follow up monitoring confirmed that PCBs (Polychlorinated biphenyls) are no longer an issue in stormwater,” said Mc Carthy. “We’re aware of municipality’s directive and order; we support that and will continue monitoring with our ministry officials.”
CHCH News also reached out to Bay Shore Groups regarding their efforts in remediating this site but have yet to receive a response from them.
The company must appeal against city orders by June 12.
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