The Stage 1 Report for the Peninsula Harbour AOC identified 6 beneficial uses as “impaired”, 11 as “not impaired” and 2 as “requiring further assessment” (see the table Summary of Peninsula Harbour BUIs: 1991-2010 above).

Environment Canada and the Ontario Ministry of the Environment have been working towards the goals identified in the Peninsula Harbour RAP. This has involved characterizing the extent of environmental risk from mercury and polychlorinated biphenyl (PCB) contamination of harbour sediments, as well as monitoring and assessing trends in fish and wildlife health in the AOC.

This was prepared and released by Environ Inc. and outlines risks associated with contaminated harbour sediment. It includes both an ecological risk assessment (ERA) focused on risks posed to fish and wildlife and a screening level human health risk assessment (HHRA) focused on risks posed to people who eat fish caught in Peninsula Harbour.

Following a series of meetings with stakeholders in Marathon and Pic River, thin-layer capping is selected as the most suitable choice for management of contaminated harbour sediment. 

The Stage 2 Report for the Peninsula Harbour AOC outlines water use goals and actions to achieve these goals, as well as the remedial strategies for ecosystem restoration. The report identified 2 beneficial uses that remained “impaired” (Restrictions on Fish Consumption and the Degradation of Benthos) and 2 requiring further assessment (Degradation of Fish and Wildlife Populations and the Loss of Fish and Wildlife Habitat).

A major Sediment Remediation Project in Peninsula Harbour at Marathon, ON, was co-funded by the Governments of Canada and Ontario. A thin-layer cap of 15-20 centimetres of clean sand is placed on top of the most contaminated sediment in Jellicoe Cove (Cost: $ 7,300.000. Former pulp mill owners contributed $3.0M, Environment Canada – $2.7M, Province of Ontario – $1.6M).

The Jellicoe Cove Thin-Layer Cap Long-Term Monitoring Assessment was completed by Ontario Ministry of the Environment, Conservation, and Parks. This survey demonstrated that the thin-layer sediment cap is effective and met the goals and objectives of the remedial effort.

The Peninsula Harbour Area of Concern Status Report summarizes the remedial and monitoring activities undertaken over the history of the Peninsula Harbour Remedial Action Plan, and presents an update on the status of beneficial use impairments (BUIs) within the Area of Concern. The Status Report provides evidence that supports the recent re-designations to Not Impaired status of three of the four remaining beneficial use impairments (BUIs) in the AOC: Degradation of Fish and Wildlife Populations, Loss of Fish and Wildlife Habitat and Degradation of Benthos.