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Old Esso lot gets environmental assessment

Future development on a former gas station lot downtown Trail could very well depend on what’s discovered during environmental assessment.
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A crew of labourers with Mud Bay Drilling Co. Ltd. drilled wells on the former Esso lot in downtown Trail Wednesday as part of Imperial Oil’s effort to get its surplus property eventually up for sale.

Future development on a former gas station lot at the entrance of downtown Trail could very well depend on what’s discovered during environmental assessment.

Contractor Mud Bay Drilling Co. Ltd. was on site at the old Esso lot on Victoria Avenue Wednesday to do routine drilling of wells that will be monitored over a period of time.

“Our aim is to eventually sell the land but this would depend on a variety of factors – including local market conditions and environmental condition of the property – so it’s difficult to speculate on timelines for when that would occur,” said Imperial Oil spokesman Jon Harding.

The non-operating surplus property owned by Imperial Oil (Esso) was a retail site until late 2009 when it was closed, just after a Petro Canada station shut down operation across the street in 2008.

“The properties could be redeveloped but due to the past commercial use there, they are subject to site profiling and investigation (detailed soil sampling to test for contamination), as well as potential remediation, pursuant to the provincial Environmental Management Act and Contaminated Sites Regulation,” explained city administrator Michelle McIsaac.

Depending on the results of the site investigation and soil sampling, remediation of any soil contaminants may be required before the properties could be sold and or redeveloped for use.