ABSTRACT
The decline in demand for petroleum products has resulted in the closure of several oil refineries in Canada. At designated sections of each site, oily wastes were applied to the surface soil and tilled to provide mixing and to encourage the degradation of organic compounds through chemical and biological processes. Some constituents of organic (oily) wastes undergo relatively rapid and complete degradation; others degrade slowly, and the low levels of metals often present do not degrade. In Ontario, as in the rest of North America, the formal decommissioning of industrial sites in general and landfarm areas in particular is relatively new, and few regulations or guidelines are in place. The Port Credit Plant site is situated in Mississauga, Ontario, approximately 30 km west of Toronto on the north shore of Lake Ontario. The region surrounding the site is a relatively flat plain that is drained by small creeks and ditches that flow to Lake Ontario.
