November 13, 2024
We’d like to share some information and address questions about our proposed Land Treatment Facility (LTF) in Haines Junction.
The LTF is needed to treat hydrocarbon contaminated soil, gravel, and other material. While there are LTFs in other regions of Yukon, including one we operate in Whitehorse, they are too far away to practically manage materials from the Haines Junction area. Without this facility contaminated sites will go un-treated.
Once operating, the LTF will take in material from historical and current contaminated sites. So, for example, if hydrocarbons such as oil and fuel was dumped into the ground at a construction site in years past, we might be called in to remove that soil and remediate it prior to new construction. Or, if a fuel truck overturns on the highway and spills diesel into a gravel ditch that slopes towards a nearby river, we might be engaged to handle that site and prevent significant environmental impacts.
It's an important and much-needed facility, and we believe it’s in the right place.
We have been in the Yukon Environmental and Socio-economic Assessment Board (YESAB) process for the past eight months and have made adjustments to our project in response to input we’ve received. Perhaps the most significant change we’ve made is moving the proposed location across the existing quarry so it will be almost a kilometer away from the nearest residence and more than a half-kilometer away from the nearest waterway.
The Yukon Environment Guidelines require such sites be at least 60 meters from the nearest homes – ours will be more than 850 meters away. It won’t be in anyone’s backyard. It is north of the existing Yukon Government industrial Mackintosh Quarry, which has operated there for decades. The existing industrial quarry is closer to homes than the LTF will be, and we aren’t aware of any noise or dust complaints in recent years.
There are a large number of similar LTFs constructed and in operation throughout Yukon. There are currently two active multi-use LTFs in Whitehorse, two in Dawson City, one in Teslin, one in Watson Lake, and one in Mayo. This does not include all of the single-use or private LTFs that have been reviewed by YESAB (Burwash, YG Top of the World Highway, Whitehorse Airport, ERDC in Elsa, Watson Lake Airport to name a few) or the LTFs that have not needed to go through the YESAB process that have been permitted. These active LTFs are similar or closer in distance to residences and surface water as compared to our proposed Mackintosh location. They are constructed similarly with synthetic liners in areas with similar quarry material and have operated safely without environmental concerns for years.
We agree with residents the area gets a lot of wind. The material we’re treating will be kept moist for dust control, and the site has at least a 50-meter buffer of trees and green space between the facility and the Mackintosh Quarry. We are currently looking at other design options to address the concerns raised about wind. We want to be good neighbours while we undertake this important project.
So why this location? The site is already industrial and close to both Haines Junction and existing contaminated sites, reducing the need to transport materials to our site in Whitehorse – significantly lowering transportation costs and reducing impacts to the environment related to greenhouse gases. The proposed location is close to our active operations in the quarry, allowing equipment and operators to be available between the two sites.
We have operated a similar facility in Whitehorse for a decade without issue, remediating thousands of tonnes of soil, and will use the same technology and systems in the Haines Junction site. We will build and operate this site to the highest environmental standards. The LTF will feature several large cells, or sections, to passively remediate petroleum hydrocarbons in soil, a process that typically takes 2 – 18 months depending on the contamination. Each cell will be lined with a geo-synthetic liner, the latest technology available (far superior compared to the minimum standard clay liner) and it is proven effective and safe. We will capture any runoff on the site from the LTF in a sump, re-using that water on the site for bioremediation and dust control. The entire site will occupy about 154 m by 149 m. Groundwater monitoring wells will be located around the facility and will be sampled to ensure there are no impacts to the groundwater.
In the end, this is an important facility, needed to clean up existing sites and respond to any spills in in the Haines Junction area. We believe it is in the right location, and will build it to the highest standards. We have heard what residents have told us and already made significant changes to the plan to address their concerns. We are taking away their most recent input to see what more we can do and we are currently looking into additional design options to address the concerns raised about wind.
LTFs are safe and are highly beneficial for the environment. We look forward to getting the project underway.