Alberta issued an environmental protection order against Sears Canada and Concord North Hill GP Ltd, the current owner of the former department store’s North Hill Mall location in Calgary.

Sears opened and operated a gas station at the site in 1958 until it was shut down in 1995. An environmental assessment showed the original underground storage tank caused a hydrocarbon storage leak sometime between the late 1970s and the early 1980s.

Both parties neglected to clean up and monitor the leak that seeped into the Houndsfield Heights – Briar Hill community over the decades. Data gaps show both companies didn’t continue regular groundwater sampling and semi-annual soil vapour sampling.

Under the terms of the order, issued under the province’s Environmental Protection and Enhancement Act, the parties are directed to recommence soil vapour monitoring and groundwater sampling and monitoring in the community and submit a remediation action plan to the compliance manager by December 15, 2018. A communications website must also provide information to the public.