^^^^ \<r^.\e,r(i^ii^ ^-^fy '^^ ' FILE COF! PHYTOTOXICOLOGY 1996 INVESTIGATION: PEEL GAME FARM BRAMPTON SEPTEMBER 1998 ® Ministry Ontario of the Environment I ISBN 0-7778-7906-9 PHYTOTOXICOLOGY 1996 INVESTIGATION: PEEL GAME FARM BRAMPTON SEPTEMBER 1998 Cette publication technique n'est disponible qu'en anglais. Copyright: Queen's Printer for Ontario, 1998 This publication may be reproduced for non-commercial purposes with appropriate attribution. PIBS 3691E PHYTOTOXICOLOGY 1996 INVESTIGATION: PEEL GAME FARM BRAMPTON Report prepared by: W.D. Mcllveen Standards Development Branch Phytotoxicology Section Ontario Ministry of the Environment Report No: SDB-068-3511-1996 Peel County Game Farm - 1996 INTRODUCTION At the request ofthe Halton/Peel District Office ofMGEE, an investigation oflead concentrations in soil was made on the property ofthe Peel County Game and Fish Protective Association, hereafter referred to as PCGF. It is located at 10194 Heart Lake Road, P.O. Box 2249, Station B. Brampton. L6T 3S4. The request arose in response to a letter from Bill Cowie. Councillor for the City of Brampton. His letter was written because ofthe concerns raised by a local resident. The concern was the possibility oflead migration offthe PCGF property onto the lands to the south and east. Lead is used in lead shot for skeet shooting and as bullets in the firing range. The club has existed on the site for nearly fifty years hence there is strong possibility that substantial quantities oflead could have accumulated in the soil on and around the shooting range. METHODS A site visit was made on August 30, 1996 by Dr. W.D, McDveen, Phytotoxicology Section, Standards Development Branch, MOEE. At that time. Bob Calvert, President ofthe Peel County Game and Fish Protective Association, was present and gave a tour ofthe property. The property includes four target ranges. The first is an indoor range in which any emissions would be contained. The second was a bow and arrow range for which there are no environmental concerns. The third was a rifle and handgun shooting range. Although it is technically outdoors, it is surrounded by a roofed shelter over the shooting positions, a high dirt bank on the east and a steep embankment to the west. The targets are set in front of a high bank of soil and wooden beams and there is an extensive set ofbaffles to prevent bullets being accidentally fired over the targets. Although spent bullets were noted in the vicinity ofthe targets, the whole range was considered to be very well contained. The possibility oflead migrating from this range was too small to warrant sampling. The sampling conducted was therefore limited to the fourth (skeet shooting) range. In this case. the shooting range consists ofseveral firing stations facmg east (towards Heart Lake Road). There is a medium-sized soil berm at the east edge ofthe range. This berm, in combination with restricted powder load in the shotgun shell, prevents the shot from reaching Heart Lake Road. The area between the berm and the firing stations had a heavy loading ofbroken clay pigeons and wadding. Based on the foregoing site inspection, seven sites were chosen for soil sampling. These sites are listed below and are shown in the attached map. At each site, soil samples were collected using a stainless steel soil corer. Each sample consisted of a composite ofcores (minimum of 15) placed in a labelled plastic bag [1]. All sampling was completed in duplicate. Samples were returned to the Phytotoxicology Laboratory for processing. SD-68-3511-96 Peel County Game Farm - 1996 Summary of sampling sites associated with Peel Game Farm. August 30. 1996 Site Mowed lawn between and immediately in front of firing stations Site 2 Weedy area in front offiring stations loaded with broken clay pigeons and wadding Site 3 Lower halfofberm in front ofFiring Station 3. covered with grass and weeds & Site 4 Bottom halfofberm in front ofFiring Stations 4 5. covered with grass and weeds Sites SE comer ofGame Farm property at Heart Lake Road, weedy area adjacent to marshy area, site probably disturbed during construction ofHeart Lake Road Site 6 Mowed embankment on southwest comer ofBovaird and Naismith Roads but facing and open to gun club Site? Edge ofHeart Lake Road right-of-way at northeast comer ofEsker Lakes Public School The soils were air-dried, cmshed to pass through a 45 mesh sieve and stored in glass bottles. The samples were forwarded to the Laboratory Services Branch, Ministry ofthe Environment and Energy for chemical analysis [2] for lead and antimony. RESULTS The chemical analysis results are shown in the following table. Lead and antimony concentrations* in soil at Peel Game Farm, August, 1996 Peel County Game Farm - 1996 firing range. The OTR^g guideline for lead was exceeded only at Sites 2, 3 and 4 which are immediately down range ofthe firing stations. All ofthe stations except Site 7 had antimony at concentrations that exceeded the OTR,^ guideline for antimony. It is concluded that the area has a naturally elevated level ofantimony in the soil. The pattern ofelevated antimony, which is similar to that oflead, suggests that the firing range had contributed to the antimony levels in soil. The Clean-up Criterion for lead was exceeded at Site 3. Appendix n is a soil lead information sheet. Although the antimony OTR^g was exceeded at six ofseven sample sites, the Clean-up MOEE Criterion for antimony was not exceeded. The Soil Clean-up Criteria are effects-based guidelines. Exceedence ofthese criteria does not imply an automatic clean-up, rather they are intended to guide the decommissioning ofindustrial/commercial property being redeveloped for residential or parkland use. SUMMARY The study indicated that elevated lead and antimony had accumulated in soil associated with and immediately adjacent to the firing range. The lead levels at Site 5 were substantially below the OTR98 guideline. This indicates that the potential for lead to migrate offthe property is very limited and satisfactorily answers the original question which prompted the survey. Nevertheless, because the MOEE Clean-up Criterion for lead was exceeded at one site, additional sampling should be undertaken in the event that the property is sold or converted to other uses in the future. REFERENCES 1. Mcllveen, W.D., and D.L. McLaughlin. 1993. Field investigation manual Part 1: General methodology. Report No. HCB-014-351 1-93. 2. Mcllveen, W.D., and D.L. McLaughlin. 1993. Field investigation manual Part 2A: General methodology. Report No. HCB-015-3511-93. 3. Ontario Ministry ofthe Environment and Energy. 1993. Ontario Typical Range of chemical parameters in soil, vegetation, moss bags and snow. Report No. HCB-151- 3512-93. SD-68-3511-96 Peel County Game Farm - 19Q6 SD-68-3511-96