Base31 was a 1940’s wartime, military base where many men were taught flying and bombing. Bombs are still embedded at Wellers Bay spit.  The planes required regular servicing. Waste oils and fluids were dumped on the ground, a common practice at the time. The full extent of the contamination is an unknown.

This soil is about to be dug up and moved. It reminds of the situation at Port Hope, where radioactive waste was spread all over town in the very soil. If the military and town governance at Port Hope did not recognize the harm of radioactive material in the 1940s, those at Camp Picton certainly would not have recognized the contamination threat posed by petrochemicals and fuel leaching into the ground.

The mistake of Port Hope could be repeated here without thorough soil assessment throughout the base.  The prospect of getting cleaner water for Wellington, Bloomfield and Picton could create another environmental danger: toxic soil in gardens and yards where children play.  There is already a playground installed in the Revitalization Zone, near the hangars.

The past is filled with terrible mistakes made in ignorance of the threats posed by toxic chemicals, lead, and mercury.  We are no longer in the dark about such things.  A professional soil assessment study at Base 31 will alleviate any future concerns. It must be undertaken before any building begins.

Barbara Dahlman

Prince Edward County