through the sides of the landfill. It is important to continuously monitor these sites and prevent contamination. A study summarizing spills in Rouge Park was conducted recently. Between 1988 and 2000, there were roughly 300 oil spills and 90 chemical spills. Most of these occurred on the road or from commercial plants, storage facilities and tanker trucks. A recent spill in the Little Rouge River resulted in the killing of fish up to 4 kilometres downstream of the spill. Typically, in an urban area, we can expect much of the soil to be impermeable due to asphalt and concrete. During times of excessive rainfall, pollutants are picked up and rapidly run off. In 1970, a heavy thunderstorm hit Malvern and at the mouth of the Malvern outfalls, the Morningside Stream was choked with pollutants such as oil, rubber, plastics and heavy metals from driveways, roads and parking lots. Further downstream, a breeding area for salmon and trout was negatively affected due to harm from flash floods and pollution. During the storm, runoff can pick up road salt which can cause contamination of groundwater and leaching out of trace metals. A multi-lane highway and major railway line cuts through the park, both of which have negative environmental impacts. Highway 407 contributes to decreased air quality, increased smog and greenhouse gas emissions. During winter, roads are covered in salt, which is an added contaminant in the watershed. The streams found in Rouge Park have shown an overall increase in levels of chloride. Noise created by the highway can also impact acoustic ecology (soundscaping). See also List of national parks of Canada References External links Rouge National Urban Park website Rouge Valley Conservation Centre Rouge River Watershed Plan Towards a Healthy and Sustainable Future - Report of the Rouge Watershed Task Force Beaches of Toronto National parks in Ontario Parks in Toronto Parks in the Regional Municipality of York Pickering, Ontario Scarborough, Toronto