Environmental ticket gives go-ahead to massive landfill on Treaty 8 lands

A landfill for oil and gas waste to be managed by a Doig River business group been approved by the Ministry of Environment.

Friday, Environment Minister Barry Penner and Community Development Minister Blair Lekstrom granted the Doig River group a permit for a project to dispose of 50,000 tonnes of contaminated soil from oil and gas activities per year. The landfill will cover 32.5 hectars on First Nations land in Treaty 8 territory.

The business group still has to get the necessary provincial licences, leases and approvals, but the environmental studies have all been done and an EA certificate given to the group.

Lekstrom says the Doig River group came forward with a proposal that will take care of a lot of the problems the north is facing with oil and gas waste.

The provincial EA certificate contains more than 70 committments the Doig group must adhere to, such as agreeing to monitor and be financially responsible for the project for at least 25 years after its closure and installing a leachate monitoring system to ensure any leachate is disposed of according to provincial requirements.

Tobi Elliott -- Fort St John