Bulk fuel remediation project under review
Proposal before regulatory authority
April Hudson
Northern News Services
Thursday, September 15, 2016
LIIDLII KUE/FORT SIMPSON
A plan to create a contaminated soil facility on the island where the former bulk fuel plant once sat is under review and receiving pushback from local leaders.
The company that would be responsible for the farm is CANURE Limited Partnership, along with EnviroAnalytics Group (EAG) Canada.
The proposal, which would see contaminated soil excavated at the site and treated on-site, is currently before the Mackenzie Valley Land and Water Board.
A description of the project notes EAG Canada would oversee excavation and onsite treatment using a local contractor, with an estimated 1,600 cubic metres of contaminated soil being remediated.
The project would mean an impermeable liner would be installed to prevent contamination from leaching into underlying soil and groundwater. The contaminated soil generally is spread in a layer and tilled on a regular basis.
On Sept. 9, Dehcho First Nations submitted a letter to the Mackenzie Valley Land and Water Board stating that after consultation with Liidlii Kue First Nation and the Village of Fort Simpson, the First Nation rejects the location of the proposed land treatment facility. The letter is signed by Dehcho First Nations executive director Alison de Pelham.
"CANURE is proposing to develop the (facility) within the municipal boundary of Fort Simpson in a location that is adjacent to the Mackenzie River and other properties on the municipality," de Pelham wrote.
"(We) believe that the proposed location of the (facility) poses a threat to the environment and the health and safety of residents in Fort Simpson."
Concerns noted include the possibility of contaminated soils leaching into surface water or groundwater, or being blown by wind into adjacent soils, vegetation or the river.
On Sept. 2, councilors for the Village of Fort Simpson discussed the proposed facility and agreed they did not want it to be built on the island.
Deputy mayor Jarret Hardisty, who also works for the territorial Department of Lands, said the village "should not support a contaminated soil farm within municipal boundaries."
He said similar facilities water the stockpiled soil to keep dust down which could lead to contaminated water being spread on the island.
Another cause for concern could be noxious fumes, councillors said. In a Sept. 8 letter to the Mackenzie Valley Land and Water Board, senior administrative officer Beth Jumbo stated the possibility of such fumes joined a list of concerns, including the location of the proposed facility, which would be in a flood zone.
"The Village of Fort Simpson is requesting that another location off island be located for the land treatment facility," Jumbo stated.
The site in question was purchased by CANURE with remediation a condition of the purchase agreement. Remediation is also required for potential redevelopment of the property, according to EAG, although details of what that potential redevelopment might be were not available.
CANURE has until Sept. 16 to respond to comments on the review.
