Where incompatible land uses are located beside each other, such as industry or major roadways adjacent to residences, the potential for conflict exists.  Typical issues of concern include air quality, noise, odor, dust, and vibration.  RWDI is extensively involved in studies for Land Use Planning to address these issues.  Where conflicts exist, studies are conducted to address these issues, as part of Official Plan Amendments, rezoning applications, plans of subdivision, site plan approval, to:

• Evaluate impacts on existing residential development from:
  • new or expanding industry
  • new or expanding transportation sources (roadways, railways, airports, etc.)
• Evaluate impacts on existing industrial land uses from new proposed residential uses, and
• Evaluate impacts on planned future residential development from existing industry, and existing and approved transportation sources (air, road and rail).

The air quality, noise and vibration component of these assessments may involve a high level of interaction with the project design engineering team and other environmental discipline teams.  RWDI also supplies support for public involvement processes and expert testimony at regulatory hearings (e.g., at the Ontario Municipal Board (OMB)).

RWDI’s capabilities include:

• Versatile, expert staff specialized in air quality, noise, odor, dust and vibration, with the ability to provide consultation and design reviews at early stages in a project.
• Extensive experience with Land Use Planning assessments and Environmental Impact Assessments.
• Measurement capabilities for all sources of interest (airborne contaminants, noise, odor, dust and vibration), to establish existing "ambient" conditions, and to use in predictive models to establish future impacts and guideline limits.
• An extensive in-house library of emission data and mitigation solutions.
• State-of-the-art computer models, which allow for the creation of easy to understand presentations of results, include contour maps (isopleths of equal levels, for pollutants, odor, noise and vibration).
• Expert testimony and public presentations.

Typical Projects

• Land Use Planning Projects examining the impacts of "stationary" industrial and transportation (road, rail and air) sources on proposed residential developments.
• Railway Noise and Vibration Assessments, for proposed residential developments adjacent to or near railway corridors. 
• Provincial and Municipal Roadway Class EAs, examining the impacts of new, expanded, or retrofitted roadways and highways on existing residential lands.
• Public Mass Transit System EAs, examining impacts from public mass transit sources, such as subways, bus transitways, light and heavy rail transit systems.
• Pits, Quarries and Landfills Assessments, assessing impacts of new or expanded pits, quarries or landfills on adjacent lands as part of licensing and/or land use planning.
• Airport Siting and Expansions, examining the effects of fleet mix changes, new or expanded runways, etc.
• Construction Impact Assessments, evaluating noise, vibration odor and dust impacts from construction activities, including blasting, pile driving, earth moving, etc., and providing impact management plans and controls. 

Specific Examples of RWDI Studies and Clients

Noise

• 1100 King Street West Development (Urbancorp Ltd.): multi-tower/townhouse development in Toronto, adjacent to CN / GO Transit right-of-ways, streetcar tracks, and major roadways.
• Toronto City Centre Airport Fixed Link (Dillon Consulting): environmental noise impacts of the addition of a fixed link bridge to the airport, and the corresponding expansion of airport operations.  Construction noise and vibration impacts.
• Ottawa "O-Train" Light Rail Transit System (Dillon Consulting): noise, vibration and air quality impacts of the O-Train pilot project, consisting of light rail transit cars operating on existing freight lines, passing near residential areas.  Design of mitigation and confirmatory audit measurements. 
• McCarthy Quarry Haul Route Noise (Totten Sims Hubicki): noise impacts of a proposed quarry haul route.
• Homer Watson Boulevard Expansion (Giffels Associates): noise impacts of a proposed 4-laning of a municipal roadway on existing residences.

Air Quality

• Jannock Properties (City of Mississauga): air quality impacts of existing industry and municipal facilities on proposed mixed residential/commercial lands. 
• Trail Road Landfill (Dillon Consulting Ltd): evaluation of air quality and noise impacts from the proposed expansion of existing municipal landfill on adjacent existing and planned residential land uses.
• Red Hill Creek Expressway (City of Hamilton): evaluation of air quality and noise impacts from a proposed freeway in existing green space.  Long term noise and air quality monitoring.
• Vaughan Crematorium (City of North York): air quality impacts from proposed six-burner crematorium across from high-rise apartment buildings.