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CHILLIWACK WATER ON CONTAMINATED SITES LIST By Lisa Morry -Chilliwack Times Reporter Decommissioned Canadian Forces Base Chilliwack, the Pacific Agri-Food Research Centre in Agassiz, a site in Harrison Hot Springs and a half-dozen Indian reserves in this area are listed on the federal government's contaminated sites inventory-quietly posted on a federal website. The reserves listed locally include Atchelitz, Chawathil, Cheam, Chehalis, Kwaw Kwaw A Pilt, Seabird Island, Skwah, Skway and Squiala. Most of the contamination on the reserves is petroleum hydrocarbons and PAH's. Petroleum hydrocarbons include fuels such as gas and diesel. PAH's are polynuclear aromatic hydrocarbons, which are gases like naphthalene and fluorine. Long-term exposure to gasoline fuel in soil can lead to cancer, according to the Fraser Health Authority. PAH's can also be carcinogenic and may have other health effects, according to the Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry. The contamination on the reserves is of great concern to Sto:lo Nation, which is investigating, according to a spokesperson. Sealed, unmarked drums have been found at various sites on local reserves, the spokesperson said, and some of the drums are in poor condition. Some examples from the federal inventory include the Squiala reserve which is under remediation for contamination by petroleum hydrocarbons and PAH's on a site near the band office. So far, $11,932 has been spent on the cleanup. On Cheam reserve petroleum hydrocarbons and PAH's were found in the band maintenance area and several gravel pit areas. These sites are under remediation and costs, so far, total $95,111. On Chehalis, a number of sites, including a gas bar, old school and old cafe are contaminated by petroleum hydrocarbons and PAH's. Some have been cleaned up, others are under remediation or under risk management. Total expenditures so far are $255,927. Sites that are being monitored are not a health risk, according to the health region. The contamination on former CFB Chilliwack is contained and is not a threat to people or animals, according to Marie Goulden, Area Support Unit Chilliwack, environmental officer. The site under remediation is near the Vedder trail and is double-fenced. "It's a sandblast area and it's not listed (on the inventory)," Goulden said. The contamination concern is metals-mostly copper and nickel with "a relatively low human health risk factor," Goulden said. "It's not dissolving in water. It's not getting into drinking water, the Vedder River or ground water," she said. Other sites listed under CFB Chilliwack include two active rifle ranges-the current fish and game club range on Chilliwack Lake Road and an active military range off a forestry service road in the Mount Slesse area. Both these ranges are contaminated with lead, copper and antimony from bullet splattering. The environmental office is monitoring nearby ground water, but there is no criteria for explosives residue, Goulden said. "We haven't been told that it's exceeding anything or that it's a problem," she said. Another site not listed on the inventory is the Soowahlie reserve where band members have found military leftovers for years. "In the past if there has been a problem, Soowahlie has phoned Ottawa," Goulden said of the decommissioned rocket range, which now belongs to the band. No information is available about the cost to clean up CFB sites. Several sites at the Pacific Agri-Food Research Centre in Agassiz are contaminated by heavy metals, petroleum hydrocarbons and PAH's and toxic organics. Most are under risk management. Remediation is complete on one site. So far $60,000 has been spent on the cleanup. The heavy metal contamination is associated with a former rifle range and five other sites are associated with historical dumping sites that are no longer used, according to Chris Keith, environmental engineer, corporate management branch for Agriculture Canada. Twenty or 30 years ago garbage was dumped on site, a practice that was acceptable in the past, but has left a lingering problem that has had to be cleaned up, Keith said. "In terms of the sites, they're relatively small and isolated and there's no migration. There's no impact to human health or the environment," Keith said. The Harrison site is a parking lot area of the breakwater contaminated with petroleum hydrocarbons and PAH's. It's listed as under assessment with action not likely required. A published ban on water as seen in the Globe & Mail can be seen here. If you have any questions, please contact us today by on-line form, email or by telephone at 604-795-4797.
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