WHEREAS the Province of British Columbia appears on the verge of approving a contaminated soils facility that would permit the dumping of five million tons of highly contaminated material near the headwaters of the Shawnigan Lake drinking water watershed; AND WHEREAS the citizens and Board of the Cowichan Valley Regional District have expressed their strong opposition to the proposed facility and the dumping of contaminated material in drinking water watersheds; AND WHEREAS there are significant conflicting hydrogeological and technical opinions about the risk the facility would pose to the environment and peoples drinking water: THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED that the Province of British Columbia be requested to amend contaminated site regulations to provide for thorough and appropriate consideration of local government input and land use regulations in the contaminated soils permitting process.
Ministry of Environment The West Coast Regional office of the Ministry of Environment has concluded its review of the application by South Island AggregatesCobble Hill Holdings to treat and landfill contaminated soil at a site at 460 Stebbings Road. The Ministry has considered the input of several agencies and groups, including the Vancouver Island Health Authority, the Ministry of Forests, Lands and Natural Resource Operations, the Ministry of Energy and Mines, local First Nations, local government and the public through an extensive consultation process. The Ministry also considered and addressed the concerns received from approximately 300 submissions received in response to a draft version of the permit made available for public review in March 2013. Comprehensive reviews of the site geology have been completed by qualified professionals both inside and outside the Ministry of Environment in relation to concerns raised by other agencies, local government and the public. It has been concluded that the control works, treatment, monitoring, conditions and reporting requirement included in the final version of the permit developed subsequent to the consideration of the opinions of qualified professionals and the numerous concerns raised by the public and other groups will provide the necessary level of treatment for the protection of human and environmental health. As a result a permit has been issued to authorize the treatment and land filling of contaminated soil at the site on Stebbings Road. The Ministry welcomes meetings with local governments to discuss suggestions for amendments to the legal regime for managing excess and contaminated soils.