HOW TO GET INVOLVED & PARTICIPATE

As part of this project, a study examined the feasibility of potential options to manage the PCB-contaminated sediments in the bottom of a portion of Lyons Creek East. A public information centre was held on June 18, 2025, where experts shared a progress update on potential sediment management options, discussed the next steps, and answered questions.

If you missed the event, the materials are available on this page (and linked below for quick access).

  1. Sediment management options summary
  2. June 2025 - Lyons Creek East - Public information centre slides
  3. Short informational video - sediment management options

Still have questions?

  • Submit written comments or questions using the Q&A tool below.
  • Visit niagarariver.ca to learn more about the Niagara River Remedial Action Plan including other efforts to improve water quality and ecosystem health.

All questions / comments are reviewed by staff but we may not be able to reply to all of them.

For inquiries not related to this project, please visit npca.ca/contact.


ABOUT THE PROJECTProject area map with areas A, B, and C identified along the area of Lyons Creek East from the end of the creek nearby the Welland Canal to the end of area C at Buchner Road.

Specific areas of Lyons Creek East (from the Welland Canal to Buchner Road) contain high levels of historical sources of polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs). This area is the last of 14 sites identified for cleanup as part of the Niagara River Remedial Action Plan.

Collaborative monitoring occurred for more than 15 years as part of a natural recovery approach, selected in 2008 through scientific evidence and public consultation. Natural recovery was ideal at the time because it did not disturb the contaminated sediment, and monitoring could be implemented to assess whether natural recovery was occurring whereby contaminated sediments get buried below cleaner surface sediments. Monitoring included many studies, such as sediment, water, fish, aquatic bugs, and turtle eggs. In May 2023, partners informed the community about the need to select a different cleanup approach after scientific information indicated natural recovery was not occurring in some areas of the creek particularly in areas close to the Welland Canal.

Since then, various studies throughout Lyons Creek East (2022-present) have been conducted to inform future cleanup options for managing and removing the contaminated sediments. A comprehensive, 4-season ecological study was completed to identify environmentally sensitive areas of the creek. The results were presented at a public meeting in November 2024. The presentation slide deck and full ecological study report are accessible under the 'Documents' section on this page. Other studies have been conducted by the Canada Water Agency (formerly Environment and Climate Change Canada) and the Ontario Ministry of the Environment, Conservation, and Parks and supported by the NPCA to determine the physical extent of PCB contamination in the creek’s sediments. Collaborative efforts to determine and evaluate possible methods of sediment remediation for this area are ongoing.

In June 2025, we hosted another public information centre at the Welland Flatwater Centre. Experts shared a progress update on potential sediment management options, discussed the next steps, and answered questions. If you missed the event, we have now posted all materials on this page.

We encourage you to continue checking back for updates on this project.

Q & A instructions

DO YOU HAVE QUESTIONS ABOUT THE PROJECT?

Important details to know before submitting a question:

  1. Please review questions that have already been asked and answered. Duplicate questions may not get answered.
  2. When asking a question, please fill out the entire form, including selecting a category. This helps fellow community members filter questions based on category and helps the project team organize community concerns.
  3. Submit one question at a time. If you have multiple questions, submit the form multiple times. There is no limit to the number of questions you can submit.
  4. The project team collaborates on responses and there are many experts and working group members on this project. Responses may take time. Please be patient.
  5. You will receive an email notification when your question has been answered.

Features of the Questions & Answers tool:

  • Filter questions by status and category.
  • Show support for questions using voting feature.
  • To see the entire list of questions, select the "Show more" button at the bottom (you may need to do this more than once to view the full list of questions).

Q & A tool

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Natalie Green

Director, Watershed Strategies & Climate Change

Jessi Nelson

Niagara River Remedial Action Plan Coordinator

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