Contaminated soil has been discovered at the future Cochrane Crossing site, and it requires remediation.

The Town of Cochrane is working with Alberta Environment and has engaged an environmental engineering firm to assess and oversee the remediation work.

Town officials say that as a precautionary measure, air quality testing will be conducted on the site to ensure the safety of the public.

Town CAO, Mike Derricott says that while this discovery is a surprise, the Town is taking all the necessary steps to remedy the situation. "Prior to purchasing the property, the Town undertook steps to ensure due diligence and understanding of environmental assessments conducted and potential risks being assumed by the Town," says Derricott. "While this additional remediation work was not fully anticipated, the end result is that our community will be cleaner and more prepared for appropriate area development as these steps are taken."

The current remediation work comes at an anticipated cost of $500,000, with an additional $300,000 for further investigation on the remainder of the site, plus any additional remediation that may be needed. The funding will be allocated from the Municipal Sustainability Initiative (MSI) Capital Grant. Town Council approved the additional capital budget required to support these efforts at the June 28 Council meeting.

Officials don't believe that the additional site remediation work will significantly impact the project timelines.