Health, Safety and the Environment
At SECURE, being safe, protecting the environment, and being a good neighbour in the communities where we live and work is important. Our commitment starts with every single person going home safe.
The project is undergoing an environmental assessment through the BC Environmental Assessment Office (the EAO). The 2002 Act explains the environmental assessment process for projects like this.
We are the experienced owner and operator of six existing industrial landfills. We design our facilities above regulatory standards with composite liners and leachate collection system. A series of groundwater monitoring wells will be installed and tested twice a year by a third-party contractor and the results of the monitoring program will be submitted to BC Ministry of Environment for review.
An all-weather tipping pad will be implemented within the landfill cells to ensure safe, stable unloading areas for trucks entering the facility and to minimize tracking of waste that could make contact with truck tires.
Environmental Protection Features
Water:
- Groundwater monitoring wells are installed on-site prior to operations and monitoring occurs twice annually
- All leachate which encounters the waste contents of an active cell will be treated and collected in tanks and be safely disposed in accordance with provincial requirements
- All water which falls outside of active waste cells will collect in the run-off control pond, tested and released if analysis meets discharge criteria
Land:
- Optimum natural site conditions with extensive clay soil deposits
- Engineered composite liner design with leachate collection
- During cell construction, topsoil and subsoil will be salvaged and stored for future cell closure and reclamation purposes
- Each landfill cell, once filled to its design capacity, is to be capped with clay, topsoil replaced and re-vegetated progressively
Wildlife:
- The proposed site will be fenced to prevent access by wildlife
- The site design, construction and operating procedures ensure minimal impact to wildlife and local aquatic habitat
- Wildlife interactions will be recorded in a logbook and shared with B.C. Environment and Park wildlife managers
Environmental Impact
Air Quality Management:
- No odour at or beyond 100 meters from the waste unloading area
- Leachate from the landfill is stored in tanks as opposed to leachate storage ponds (which can cause odour)
- Removal of leachate from storage tanks occurs regularly and is safely transported and disposed through a regulated process
Traffic and Noise
- The proposed landfill will typically operate from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m.
- Approximately 15 - 20 trucks are expected daily
- Onsite operational noise will consist of trucks unloading into the cells and a dozer for solids handling
- Proposed landfill provides a local option for solid waste truck traffic currently utilizing regional highways in the area, decreasing commercial truck traffic on local highways and reducing overall traffic and long-term road damage
Community Benefits
- Employment of six full-time positions:
- One facility manager
- One facility administrator
- Four facility operators
- Site construction opportunities
- Local trucking and contracting opportunities
- Community investment through charitable giving, sponsorship and employee volunteerism
Get Involved
Consultation with the public and interested stakeholders is important aspect of the proposed SECURE Wonowon Landfill Project. As part of this Application Information Requirements phase of the project, the BC Environmental Assessment Office (EAO) is inviting the public to attend a second live Virtual Open House on the Wonowon Landfill. In lead up to the next live event, watch the first session with SECURE and the EAO.
The purpose of the live event will be to present the environmental assessment process, an overview of the proposed landfill and to answer your questions. Check back often for more information on future live events.
All comments on the Project are to be directed to SECURE ENERGY's Stakeholder Relations team.
To learn more on the project, visit the
EAO's project page.
