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TECHNICALASSESSMENTFOR
AUTHORIZATIONTODISCHARGEWASTE
SubmittedTo:
BCMINISTRYOFENVIRONMENTENVIRONMENTALMANAGEMENTBRANCH
PreparedFor:
SOUTHISLANDAGGREGATESLTD.PreparedBy: ReviewedBy: MattPye,P.Eng. DavidKneale,P.Geo.Principal,Hydrogeologist Principal,Hydrogeologist
ReviewedBy: ReviewedBy: JeffTaylor,P.Eng. DavidMitchell,P.Eng.,CSAPPrincipal,SeniorEngineer Principal,SeniorEngineer
ProjectNumber:320August2012
SouthIslandAggregatesLtd. August2012ApplicationforAuthorizationtoDischargeWasteTechnicalAssessment AEFile#320
TABLEOFCONTENTS
1.0 Introduction............................................................................................................1
1.1 Objectives............................................................................................................11.2 ScopeofWork.....................................................................................................21.3 OverviewofProposedFacility............................................................................31.4 BenefitsofProposedFacility..............................................................................5
2.0 SiteDescription.......................................................................................................7
2.1 LocationandTopography...................................................................................72.2 Legal....................................................................................................................72.3 Geology...............................................................................................................82.4 Hydrogeology......................................................................................................92.5 Climate................................................................................................................92.6 SurroundingLandUse.......................................................................................112.7 DistancestoNearestSchools,HospitalsandCareFacilities.............................13
3.0 ReceivingEnvironment.........................................................................................15
3.1 SoilConditions..................................................................................................153.2 Hydrogeology....................................................................................................163.3 NearbyDrinkingWater,Irrigation,andLivestockWells...................................213.4 ApplicableCSRSiteSpecificFactors.................................................................243.5 HydrologyofWaterDischargeLocation...........................................................253.6 EnvironmentalMonitoringPlan........................................................................273.7 CumulativeEffectsfromOtherDischargesintheArea....................................29
4.0 SourceMaterial.....................................................................................................30
4.1 ContaminantsofConcern.................................................................................304.2 MaximumConcentrations................................................................................314.3 ConfirmationSoilisNotHazardousWaste.......................................................344.4 QA/QCofIncomingSoilQuality........................................................................364.5 HoldingCellforSuspect/RejectSoil..................................................................384.6 SoilAcceptancePlan.........................................................................................38
5.0 SoilDischarge........................................................................................................40
5.1 VolumeofSoilPerYearDischarged..................................................................405.2 Concentrations/LevelatDischarge.................................................................415.3 ConcentrationConfirmation.............................................................................42
SouthIslandAggregatesLtd. August2012ApplicationforAuthorizationtoDischargeWasteTechnicalAssessment AEFile#3205.4 SoilDischargeLocation.....................................................................................435.5 PermanentSoilContainmentCellDesign.........................................................445.5.1 BaseLinerSystem.........................................................................................445.5.2 ContainmentCells.........................................................................................485.5.3 FinalCap........................................................................................................485.5.4 LeakDetectionandLeachateCollection.......................................................49
6.0 WaterDischarge...................................................................................................51
6.1 RunoffandLeachateControlMeasures...........................................................516.2 DischargeLocation............................................................................................536.3 WaterQualityatThePointofDischarge..........................................................556.4 ContaminantsofConcerninEffluent...............................................................576.5 StormEventFlows............................................................................................586.6 TreatmentSystemComponents.......................................................................596.7 MaximumDischargeRateandDischargePeriod..............................................626.8 DischargeMonitoringPlan...............................................................................626.8.1 EffluentTreatmentandDischargeMonitoring.............................................636.8.2 ReceivingWaterMonitoring.........................................................................65
6.9 BedrockLeachability.........................................................................................676.10 EffluentPermitFees..........................................................................................68
7.0 OtherDischarges/Nuisances:................................................................................70
7.1 FugitiveDust.....................................................................................................707.2 Odours...............................................................................................................717.2.1 SoiltoAirPartitioning...................................................................................727.2.2 VapourModelling.........................................................................................767.2.3 VapourMonitoring.......................................................................................767.2.4 EncapsulationAreaVapourMonitoring.......................................................797.2.5 VapourMitigationMeasures........................................................................80
7.3 Noise.................................................................................................................81
8.0 Construction/SiteSpecifics.................................................................................82
8.1 BiocellSizes.......................................................................................................828.2 SoilTreatmentAreaLinerandDrainage...........................................................828.3 LeachateDetection...........................................................................................858.4 StormwaterRunoff...........................................................................................868.4.1 OnsiteCollectionandConveyanceSystem.................................................878.4.2 FloodProtection...........................................................................................888.4.3 StormwaterTreatment.................................................................................888.4.4 EnvironmentalConsiderations......................................................................908.4.5 DesignFlowsandStorage.............................................................................90
SouthIslandAggregatesLtd. August2012ApplicationforAuthorizationtoDischargeWasteTechnicalAssessment AEFile#3208.5 Hydrology,LocationsofFloodPlains................................................................928.6 FirstNationsInterests.......................................................................................928.7 Covenants.........................................................................................................93
9.0 Operations............................................................................................................95
9.1 SoilTreatment...................................................................................................959.2 WeatherProtection..........................................................................................979.3 SitePlan/FacilityLayout..................................................................................989.4 OnSiteStaff......................................................................................................999.5 ConfirmationofSoilQuantities......................................................................1009.6 SoilTracking....................................................................................................1009.7 SoilTreatmentTrackingSystem.....................................................................1019.8 InterimTreatmentAssessment......................................................................1029.9 SampleMethods.............................................................................................1039.10 AnalyticalMethods.........................................................................................1039.11 SoilPlacementWithinPermanentEncapsulationArea..................................1049.12 FacilityInspections..........................................................................................1049.13 ReportingtoMOE...........................................................................................104
10.0 SoilAcceptancePlan...........................................................................................105
10.1 WasteApprovalApplication...........................................................................10510.2 SoilReceivingandVerification........................................................................10610.3 ShipmentandTracking...................................................................................10710.4 QA/QCforIncomingSoils...............................................................................10810.5 ProceduresforRemovalofUnacceptableSoils..............................................110
11.0 ConsultationPlan................................................................................................111
12.0 ClosurePlan........................................................................................................112
12.1 FinalCapDesign..............................................................................................11312.2 ClosureMonitoringPlan.................................................................................11612.3 Discussion........................................................................................................117
13.0 EmergencyResponsePlan..................................................................................119
14.0 FinancialSecurity................................................................................................120
15.0 Limitations...........................................................................................................122
SouthIslandAggregatesLtd. August2012ApplicationforAuthorizationtoDischargeWasteTechnicalAssessment AEFile#320ATTACHMENTSFIGURESFigure1 SiteLocationPlan&DrawingIndexFigure2 SurroundingLandUsePlanFigure3 Watershed&TopographyPlanFigure4 Site&SurroundingSurfaceWaterFigure4B GroundwaterFlowDirectionFigure5 RegionalCrossSectionA(NS)Figure6 DetailedCrossSectionB(NS)Figure7 DetailedCrossSectionC(EW)Figure8 SitePlanShowingProposedFacilityFigure8B StormwaterFacilityDetailsFigure8C SurfaceofClayTillBaseofEncapsulationAreaFigure9 SoilManagement/TreatmentAreaTypicalCrossSectionFigure9B WaterTreatmentSystemFigure10 SoilContainmentAreaTypicalCrossSectionFigure10B ContainmentCellTypicalCrossSectionFigure11 FirstLiftQuarryPhasingPlanFigure12 SecondLiftQuarryPhasingPlanFigure13 QuarryPhasingSectionsFigure14 QuarryPhasingSectionsFigure15 ClosurePlanFigureFigure16 CovenantLocationPlanTABLESTable1 AnalyticalResultsinGroundwaterAnions,Nutrients,MicrobiologyTable2 AnalyticalResultsinGroundwaterTotalandDissolvedMetalsTable3 AnalyticalResultsinGroundwaterVolatileOrganicCompoundsTable4 AnalyticalResultsinGroundwaterPolycyclicAromaticHydrocarbonsTable5 AnalyticalResultsinSurfaceWaterAnions,Nutrients,MicrobiologyTable6 AnalyticalResultsinSurfaceWaterTotalandDissolvedMetalsTable7 AnalyticalResultsinSurfaceWaterVolatileOrganicCompoundsTable8 AnalyticalResultsinSurfaceWaterPolycyclicAromaticHydrocarbons
SouthIslandAggregatesLtd. August2012ApplicationforAuthorizationtoDischargeWasteTechnicalAssessment AEFile#320APPENDICESAppendixA MinePermitQ8094AppendixB LandTitleAppendixC PhotographsAppendixD WellLogsExistingWaterSupplyWellsandMonitoringWellsAppendixE MonitoringWellResponseTestsAppendixF LaboratoryAnalyticalReportsAppendixG MinistryofEnvironmentGuidanceDocument#1AppendixH FieldProtocolsAppendixI IDFCurveAppendixJ WasteApprovalApplicationFormAppendixK RestrictiveCovenantforShawniganCreekAppendixL CascadiaBiologicalServicesReportAppendixM EmergencyResponsePlanAppendixN ConsultationReport
SouthIslandAggregatesLtd. August2012ApplicationforAuthorizationtoDischargeWasteTechnicalAssessment AEFile#320
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EXECUTIVESUMMARY
ActiveEarthEngineeringLtd.(ActiveEarth)wasretainedbySouthIslandAggregatesLtd.
(SIA)toundertakeaTechnicalAssessmentaspartofanapplicationtotheBCMinistryof
Environment (MOE) for anAuthorization toDischargeWaste. The application ismade
undertheBCEnvironmentalManagementAct(EMA). The intentoftheapplication isto
obtain approval for the development of a facility that is capable of accepting
contaminated soils. There is currently no local facility that services the southern
VancouverIslandRegion.
Thesubjectproperty(theSite) is locatedat640StebbingsRoad,theSouthShawnigan
Lake Area (Electoral Area B)within the Cowichan Valley Regional District. The Site is
approximately5.0 km southof Shawnigan Lake,3.3 kmwestof FinlaysonArm,1.5 km
northofDevereauxLakeand5.5kmeastofSookeLake(Figures1and3).Siteislocatedin
the upper reaches of the south Shawnigan Lake catchment. The area is underlain by
shallowbedrockasexpressedthroughsteepslopesandsignificantrisesinelevation.The
Site comprises a local peak elevation of approximately 340mgeod., and the ground
surfacegenerallyrisestothesouthreachingpeakelevationsof640mgeod.
TheSiteiscurrentlyoperatedasarockquarryunderthejurisdictionoftheBCMinistryof
MinespermitnumberQ8094(includedasAppendixA).Anapplicationisbeingmadeto
modifythereclamationplanintheminingpermitconcurrentlywithanapplicationforan
AuthorizationtoDischargeWaste. Theproposedchanges/authorizationwouldallowfor
contaminatedsoiltobetreatedandpermanentlyencapsulatedontheSiteaspartofthe
minereclamationplan.
Thereare significantbenefits todevelopinga soil treatmentanddisposal facility in the
Southern Vancouver Island area, with implications to local economic, social and
environmental conditions. There is an immediateneed for such a facility toprovide a
SouthIslandAggregatesLtd. August2012ApplicationforAuthorizationtoDischargeWasteTechnicalAssessment AEFile#320
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localandcosteffectivesolutionfortheremediationofmanyexistingcontaminatedsites
intheregion, includingunderutilizedbrownfieldsites. Theproposed facilityprovidesa
locallyresponsiblesolutiontoexistingissuesintheregion.
ThisTechnicalAssessmentReport(TAR)characterizesthegeologicalandhydrogeological
conditionsoftheSite,andprovidesadetaileddescriptionoftheproposedsoiltreatment
anddisposal facility. Theproposed facilitywouldonlyaccept contaminated soil that is
nonleachable and at levels below Hazardous Waste. Soils impacted with organic
substancessuitableforbioremediationwouldbetreatedatthefacility,andsoilsimpacted
with inorganic substances would be permanently encapsulated to immobilize the
contaminants.Nodisposalofliquidsorsludgeswillbepermitted.
The hydrogeological conditions at the Site have been evaluated through review of
backgroundsourcesofinformationandobtaininginformationthroughdrillingandtesting
the rockonSite (Figures3,5,6and7). Thereappears tobeastratificationof fracture
density/permeabilitybeneaththeSite.Itmaybepossibletogeneralizethebedrockinto2
distinctlayersasfollows:
UpperBedrockfrom0to75m(0to250ft):Negligiblegroundwaterflow.
DeepBedrockbelow75m(250ft):Minorgroundwaterflow.
Theverylowpermeabilityoftheupperbedrock(K=7.6x1010m/s)providesahighlevel
ofprotectiontothegroundwaterflowwithinthedeepbedrock(K=1.6x107m/s).
SurfacewaterbodiesinthevicinityoftheproposedfacilityincludeShawniganCreekand
itstributaries. ShawniganCreek flowsthroughthe legalparceltotheeastoftheactive
mineandproposedfacility.Allsurfacewater,shallowseepageandpotentialleachatewill
bemanagedwithinthefootprintoftheexistingmineanddischargedtogroundalongthe
SouthIslandAggregatesLtd. August2012ApplicationforAuthorizationtoDischargeWasteTechnicalAssessment AEFile#320
iii
western property line (Figure 8). Background creekwater quality samples have been
takenforestablishingbaselineconditions.
The proposed facilitywould include paved areas formanaging and treating soils,with
surface water and leachate controls including berms, trenches, catchbasins, holding
ponds,treatmentsystemsandmonitoringlocations.Theconceptualdesignofthefacility
includesredundancyinwatertreatmentcapabilitiesandwatermonitoringlocationsprior
todischargetoground(Figures8,9and10). Facilitydesignandoperationwouldaimto
minimizetheproductionof leachatewithintermediatecoversfromsoilwithintheactive
managementandtreatmentareasaswellassoilplacedinpermanentencapsulationcells.
Anyleachategeneratedwouldbecollectedandtreatedpriortodischarge.
The facility would be operated under the direction of a qualified Environmental
Engineering Consultant. The Consultants rolewould include general oversight of the
facility operations, and would ensure soil quality criteria are met through adequate
characterization prior to soils being transported to the facility. The Consultantwould
direct the soil treatmentprocedures, reviewwaterqualitymonitoringdataandprovide
detaileddesignforpermanentencapsulationcells.
Theproposedfacilitycouldoperateforgreaterthan50years,therefore,thenextlanduse
followingclosureisdifficulttopredict.However,theclosureplanincludestheplacement
ofa2mthicksoilcapovertheentirefootprint,withthelower1mofthecapcomprised
of lowpermeability soil to limit the infiltrationofprecipitation. Thecapwouldalsobe
crownedtopromotedrainageawayfromthecentreoftheSite,similartothepremining
conditions. Monitoringofthegroundwater,soilvapourandsurfacewaterqualitywould
beconductedforaminimumof20yearsfollowingclosureofthefacility(Figure15).
SouthIslandAggregatesLtd. August2012ApplicationforAuthorizationtoDischargeWasteTechnicalAssessment AEFile#320
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In summary, the location and physical conditions at the Site are well suited for the
proposedfacility.TheSiteislocatedincloseproximitytomanycontaminatedproperties
andwouldserviceexistingandfuturedemands.Thegroundwaterresourcesarelimitedat
theSite,andwellprotectedfromtheproposedfacilitywithalargedepthtogroundwater
andasignificantthicknessofvery lowpermeabilitybedrockatgroundsurfacetoprotect
the underlying bedrock aquifer. Nearby surface water resources would require
appropriatefacilitydesign,operationandmonitoringtoensurenoimpactsoccur.Overall,
the environmental risk posed by the proposed facility, as described in this report, is
consideredtobelow.
SouthIslandAggregatesLtd. August2012ApplicationforAuthorizationtoDischargeWasteTechnicalAssessment AEFile#320
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1.0 Introduction
ActiveEarthEngineeringLtd.(ActiveEarth)wasretainedbySouthIslandAggregatesLtd.
(SIA)toundertakeaTechnicalAssessmentaspartofanapplicationtotheBCMinistryof
Environment (MOE) for anAuthorization toDischargeWaste. The application ismade
pursuanttoSection14oftheBCEnvironmentalManagementAct(EMA).
Thesubjectproperty(theSite)islocatedat640StebbingsRoad,intheSouthShawnigan
LakeArea(ElectoralAreaB)withintheCowichanValleyRegionalDistrict(Figure1).
TheSiteiscurrentlyoperatedasarockquarryunderthejurisdictionoftheBCMinistryof
MinespermitnumberQ8094(includedasAppendixA).Anapplicationisbeingmadeto
modifytheminereclamationplan intheminingpermitconcurrentlywithanapplication
for an Authorization to DischargeWaste. The proposed changes/authorizationwould
allow forcontaminatedsoil tobe treatedandpermanentlyencapsulatedon theSiteas
partoftheminereclamationplan.
TheobjectivesofthisTechnicalAssessmentReport(TAR)istocharacterizethegeological
and hydrogeological conditions of the Site, as this is fundamental to assessing the
potential for environmental impacts as a result of the requested authorization. In
additiontodeterminingtheSiteconditions,theTARalsodescribesindetailtheoperations
anddesignoftheproposedsoiltreatmentanddisposalfacility.
1.1 Objectives
TheprimaryobjectivesofthisTechnicalAssessmentaresummarizedasfollows:
Provide a description of the Site and surrounding areawith respect to surface
water,groundwater,landuses,climateandlegal/municipalboundaries;
DeterminethegeologicalandhydrogeologicalconditionsattheSite;
SouthIslandAggregatesLtd. August2012ApplicationforAuthorizationtoDischargeWasteTechnicalAssessment AEFile#320
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ProvideabaselineforgroundwaterandsurfacewaterqualityattheSite;
Assess the potential for physical environmental impacts including groundwater,
surfacewater,soil,soilvapourandairqualityasaresultoftheproposedfacility;
Describe the proposed contaminated soil treatment and disposal facility
operationsincluding:
o Soilqualitytobeacceptedandsourcesofcontaminatedsoil;o Soilquantitythatmaybetreatedandpermanentlyencapsulated;o Soilmanagement includingmovement, sampling, temporary storage and
permanentencapsulation;
o Surface water management including protection, diversion, collection,sampling,treatmentandmonitoring;
o Groundwatermonitoring;o Soiltreatmentproceduresandbiocelldesign;o Soildisposalproceduresandpermanentcelldesign;ando Postoperationincludingclosureplanandemergencyresponseplan.
In addition to the abovestated primary objectives, the TAR includes supporting and
additionalinformationrelatedtotheoperationandmanagementoftheproposedfacility
fromdesignthroughclosure.
1.2 ScopeofWork
Thefollowingscopeofworkwasperformedtoaddresstheabovestatedobjectives:
Review of MOE documents pertaining to applications for Authorization to
DischargeWasteundertheEnvironmentalManagementAct(EMA);
MeetingwithBCMinistryofMinesandtheMOEpersonneltodiscusstheprocess
formakinganapplicationforanAuthorizationtoDischargeWasteattheSite;
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Undertaking a desk study to compile and review all available background
information for the Site including legal, climate, topography, geology,
hydrogeology, drainage, surface waters, surrounding land uses, and existing
miningpermits;
Drilling,monitoringwellinstallation,piezometricheadmeasurementandhydraulic
conductivitytestingofthebedrockaquifer;
Groundwaterand surfacewater sampling toestablishbaseline conditionsat the
Site;
Developingfacilitydesigndetails;
Developingfacilityoperationaldetails;
Developingafacilitymonitoringplan;
Developingafacilityclosureplan;
DevelopingafacilityEmergencyResponsePlan;and
PreparingthisTechnicalAssessmentReportfortheSite.
1.3 OverviewofProposedFacility
TheWaste Discharge Application is beingmade for authorization to develop a facility
capableof treating andpermanently immobilizing contaminated soilsoriginating in the
SouthernVancouver Islandarea. Wastematerialsfrom industrialprocessesmayalsobe
acceptedattheproposedfacilityifshowntobenonleachable.
The proposed facility would accept contaminated soils that exceed residential,
commercial and industrial landuse standards asdefinedby theBCContaminated Sites
Regulation(CSR).However,theproposedfacilitywouldnotacceptsoilsthatareleachable
orexceedtheBCHazardousWasteRegulation(HWR)standards.
SouthIslandAggregatesLtd. August2012ApplicationforAuthorizationtoDischargeWasteTechnicalAssessment AEFile#320
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Organic/treatable contaminantswouldbe treated/bioremediatedprior toencapsulating
onSite,orshippedoffSiteforreuseifappropriate.Inorganic/untreatablecontaminants
wouldbepermanentlyencapsulatedwithinengineeredcontainmentcells.
The facilitywouldhavea soilmanagementarea comprisedofanasphaltpaved surface
withwatercontrol/collection/treatment infrastructure. Thisareawouldalsobeusedfor
soil treatment, likelywith semipermanent covered sections for soilsmore sensitive to
moisture. The inorganic/untreatable soils and some posttreatment soils would be
permanentlyencapsulatedwithintheengineeredcontainmentcellswithinthefacility.
The facility is envisioned to contain soil management, soil treatment and soil
encapsulation areas at all times during operation. The proposed encapsulation of
contaminatedsoilswillrequireanamendmenttothereclamationplanasindicatedinthe
existingminingpermit(Q8094)fortherockquarry.Contaminatedsoilsareproposedto
be acceptable for backfill of themine pit, and the reclamation activities would be
undertakenconcurrentwiththeminingactivities. Asaresult,thesoilmanagementand
treatmentoperationsmayneed tobemovedas theminingprogressesat theSite. The
mine has an anticipated lifespan of approximately 5060 years, therefore, the facility
operationswillnotrequireregularmovement.
Anappropriategroundwaterand surfacewatermonitoringprogramwouldbe followed
and reporteduponbyaqualifiedprofessional. Surfacewaterandshallowgroundwater
seepage (if present)would bemanaged through diversion, collection,monitoring and
treatmentasnecessarypriortodischarge.
Fugitive dust, noise and odourswill bemonitored and addressed as necessary during
facilityoperation.
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1.4 BenefitsofProposedFacility
ThebenefitsofdevelopingasoiltreatmentanddisposalfacilityintheSouthernVancouver
Islandareaarefarreaching,withimplicationstolocaleconomic,socialandenvironmental
conditions. There isan immediateneed for sucha facility toprovidea localand cost
effectivesolutionfortheremediationofmanyexistingcontaminatedsitesintheregion.
This application rises, in part, from the need for a local solution to facilitate the
remediationofcontaminatedsites.Currently,therearemanycontaminatedsitesthatare
vacant, derelict and/or underutilized because of contamination (ie: Brownfield Sites).
Thecostassociatedwiththeremediationofmanyofthesesitesisprohibitivebecauseof
thelackofalocalcontaminatedsoildisposalfacility.Oftenthecosttodisposeofthesoil
toanapprovedfacility isprohibitivebecauseofsoiltransportationcosts. This isa long
standing obstacle that has been overcome in many cases by the use of onsite risk
managementofcontaminatedsoil. While thiscanbeanacceptablesolution,often it is
preferential(fromanenvironmentalanddevelopmentperspective)todisposeofthesoil
offsite.
Theproposedfacilitywouldenabledevelopmentofmanybrownfieldsites,inadditionto
otherenvironmental,economicandsocialbenefitssuchas:
Enabling cleanupofmore local contaminated sites via full contaminant removal
versusleavingcontaminationinplacewithriskmanagement;
Enablingalocalsolutiontolocalproblems;
Reducedgreenhousegasgenerationby significantly reduced truck travel (50km
roundtripvs.500kmroundtripfromVictoriatocurrentmidIsland locationsfor
example);
SouthIslandAggregatesLtd. August2012ApplicationforAuthorizationtoDischargeWasteTechnicalAssessment AEFile#320
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Reducedwearand tearon thehighway systemdue to lower truck travel,along
withbettersocialoutcome(e.g.fewertrafficfatalitieswithtrucks);
Significantsavings toFederal,ProvincialandMunicipal taxpayersduetoreduced
remediationcostson legacysites.Forexample,DNDhasasignificantamountof
remediationplannedinthefuture,muchofwhichwillrequiresoildisposal;
Provides an economically viable solution for the cleanup of local sites
contaminatedbyformerindustrialactivitiessuchastheincinerationofwaste;and
Reductionofhydrocarboncontaminantmass.
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2.0 SiteDescription
Thissectionofthereportprovidespertinentbackground informationrelatedtotheSite
availablefrompublicsourcesofinformation.
2.1 LocationandTopography
TheSite is locatedat640StebbingsRoad in theSouthShawniganLakeAreawithin the
CowichanValleyRegionalDistrict(CVRD)onVancouverIsland,BritishColumbia.TheSite
is approximately 5.0 km south of Shawnigan Lake and 3.3 kmwest of Finlayson Arm.
DevereauxLakeisapproximately1.5kmsouthoftheSiteandSookeLakeisapproximately
5.5kmtothewest(Figure1).
TheexistingmineislocatedintheupperreachesofthesouthShawniganLakecatchment.
The area is underlain by shallow bedrock as expressed through steep slopes and
significantrisesinelevation.ThepeakelevationattheSiteisapproximately340mgeod.
andthegroundsurfacegenerallyrisestothesouth,reachingpeakelevationsof640m
geod.withintheWarwickRange.
2.2 Legal
TheSiteconsistsofasinglelegalparceldescribedasfollows:
PID: 026226502
Legal: Lot23,PlanVIP78459,Blocks156,201and323,MalahatLandDistrict
The current land title is provided in Appendix B. The legal lot boundaries are
superimposedonFigures2,3,4and8.
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2.3 Geology
A review of the Geological SurveyMap 1553A indicates that the Site lies within the
WarwickRangebetweenSaanichinlettotheeast,andShawniganandSookeLakestothe
northandwest.TheunderlyingbedrockisknownasWarkGneiss,amafficunitofanearly
Paleozoicmetamorphic complex. The formation is composed ofmassive and gneissic
metadiorite alongwithmetagabbro and amphibolites. The unit is generally vertically
foliateddipping25degreestothenorthwest.
The ground surface at the Site is an expression of an igneous intrusion of very hard
granitic bedrock that has resisted erosion and resulted in a local, knobshaped,
topographic high. This hard granite rock, aswell as theWarkGneiss, are the source
materialsforthequarry.
ColquitzGneissisfoundtotheeastandwestoftheWarkGneissunit.Thissilicicunitofa
similarPaleozoicperiod is also vertically foliated striking to thenorthwest. Theunit is
composedmainlyofquartzandfeldsparwithlensesofmarbleuptoseveralmetersthick.
Both units are largely cataclastic and exhibit retrograde metamorphism with severe
alteration of themain constituents. Contacts between theWark Gneiss and Colquitz
Gneiss are poorly defined and external contacts are generally faulted and obscure.
Togethertheunitsunderliea10kmwidebeltwhichextendsfromVictoriaandthecoast
to Shawinigan Lake to the north, the units terminate against the San Juan and Survey
MountainFaults.
TherearenofaultsmappedbeneaththeSite.Thenearestfaultislocatedapproximately
3km southwest of the Site, and the next closet fault (the Shawnigan Fault) is located
approximately6kmnorthwestoftheSite.
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2.4 Hydrogeology
ThegroundwaterflowregimeinthevicinityoftheSiteispredominantlyviafracturedflow
withinadeepbedrockaquifer.Limitedoverburdensoilsarepresentintheregion,andare
generally not sufficient for development of overburden aquifers. The BCMinistry of
Environmenthasmapped twobedrockaquifers in the region,asshownofFigure3and
describedbelow:
TheSpectacleLake/MalahatBedrockAquiferislocatedapproximately1kmeastof
theSite,andisratedasmoderateproductivityandlowdemand.
The Shawnigan Lake/CobbleHill BedrockAquifer is located approximately 2 km
northoftheSite,andisratedaslowproductivityandmoderatedemand.
ThereisnobedrockaquifermappedbeneaththeSite.However,thereisthepotentialto
intersectdeepwaterbearing fractureswith sufficientcapacity to servicea residenceas
indicatedbyWell#86152which is locatedontheSiteandservicesthequarryoffice. All
existing water wells from theMOE database, within approximately 5 km of the Site
boundary,areshownofFigure3.
AdetaileddescriptionoftheSitehydrogeologyisprovidedinSection3.2ofthisreport.
2.5 Climate
TheclosestClimateStation(CanadianClimateNormals,19712000)totheSite is located
at Shawnigan Lake. The total annual precipitation recorded at the Shawnigan Lake
Climate Station is approximately1,248mm/yr (1,172 falling as rain and75.5 as snow).
Theaveragemonthlyprecipitationvaries from215mm inNovember to25mm in July.
Themajorityoftheannualprecipitation(approximately80%)fallsbetweenOctoberand
March,andthesummersarerelativelydry.TheShawniganLakeClimateStationislocated
SouthIslandAggregatesLtd. August2012ApplicationforAuthorizationtoDischargeWasteTechnicalAssessment AEFile#320
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approximately10kmnorthof theSite,andatanelevationof138mASL. The climate
normalsareprovidedinTableA.
TableA:ShawniganLakeClimateData(19712000)
ClimateData Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec Total
Rainfall(mm) 172 139 115 65 49 40 25 29 38 104 207 190 1,172
Snowfall(cm) 26.2 16.2 5.6 0.3 0 0 0 0 0 0.6 7.5 19.2 75.5
Precipitation(mm) 198 155 120 65 49 40 25 29 38 105 215 209 1,248
DailyAverage(C) 2.7 3.9 5.7 8.4 12 15 17 18 15 9.9 5.4 3 9.6
Aplotoftheclimatedataisprovidedbelow.
0
50
100
150
200
250
0
2
4
6
8
10
12
14
16
18
20
Mon
thly
Pre
cipi
tatio
n (m
m)
Mon
thly
Tem
pera
ture
(deg
rees
C)
Month
Climate Normals - Shawnigan LakeAverage TemperatureAverage Precipitation
SouthIslandAggregatesLtd. August2012ApplicationforAuthorizationtoDischargeWasteTechnicalAssessment AEFile#320
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2.6 SurroundingLandUse
SurroundinglandusesareillustratedonFigure2.
TheSitelieswithinanareaprincipallyzonedPrimaryForestryandSecondaryForestry,F1
and F2 respectively. These zones aremainlyused formanagement andharvestingof
primary forestryproducts,silviculture/horticulture,aswellastheextractionofmineral
resources. Thezonesalsoallowforuptotworesidentialdwellingsdependingonparcel
size,andhomebasedbusinesses,includingtheoperationofabedandbreakfast,arealso
acceptable. Secondary forestryallows forallPrimaryForestryuseswith theadditionof
thefollowing:sawmilling,manufacturing,andalldrylogsortingoperations.
The Stebbings Road area is regarded for its production of high grade construction
aggregates,atleastfivequarriescurrentlyexistwithina1.0kmradiusoftheSite.
F1/F2
PrimaryForestry(F1)zonedlandsownedbytheCowichanValleyRegionalDistrict(CVRD)
are located to the immediate north (Unnamed) andwest (Stebbing Road Community
Forest).TheunnamedparceloflandwhichstraddlesShawniganCreekonthewestside
of Stebbings Road includes a linear dedicationwhich runs east across Stebbings Road
paralleltoGoldstreamHeightsDrivewhereitmeetsaprovincialwoodlot. Theunnamed
parcel ispartofa largerplan toconnect theShawnigan lake trailsystem to theCapital
RegionalDistrict(CRD)andTransCanadatrailnetwork.
Aspartofa rezoning theCVRDacquiredaparcelof landnow known as the Stebbings
RoadCommunityForest,whichflankstheSiteonthewestand includesanarrowaccess
corridortoStebbingsRoadalongtheSitessouthpropertyboundary.Priortoitsturnover
totheCVRDtheparcelhadbeenextensivelylogged,andithassincebeenreplantedwith
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theintentofprovidingapotentialsourceoffuturerevenuesimilartotheNorthCowichan
andMapleRidgeCommunityForestinitiatives.
On Stebbings Road, approximately 320m southeast of the Sites quarry operation, a
3.7hectares F1 zoned parcelwith one residential dwelling also sits astride Shawnigan
Creek.Approximately1.2kmsoutheastoftheSite,onGoldstreamHeightsDrive,12lots
rangingfrom2to7hainsizearecurrentlysellingwithinStonecrestEstates,anF2zoned
stratasubdivision.
TothenortheastoftheSite,acrossStebbingsRoadextendingnorthtotheintersectionof
StebbingsandGoldstreamHeightsDrive,are five1haSecondaryForestry (F2)parcels.
These parcels have roughedin roads for access to Goldstream Heights Drive, and a
dwellingunithasbeen recently constructedon thenorthernmostparcelapproximately
350mfromtheSite.
CLS1
Approximately200mtothesouthoftheSite isacomprehensivezonewhichextendsa
further 2.5 km to the south encompassing Devereux Lake and the Shawnigan Creek
headwaters. The zone titled community land stewardship (CLS1) includes fivedistinct
sub zones ranging from Ecological Conservation to Agroforestry. Limited commercial,
communityfacility,andeducationaldevelopmentispermittedwithintheCLS,aswellasa
firehall,guest lodgeand somedegreeof infrastructure to support small scale treetop
accommodationsforecotourism.Thesouthernportionofthesitehasbeenharvestedto
alargeextent.
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I1a,I1C&I5
Agroupingofvarious light industrialproperties is locatedapproximately900mfromthe
Siteat the intersectionofShawnigan LakeRoad,StebbingsRoadand theE&NRailway.
This Industrial Park consists of uses including but not limited to aggregate and
constructionmaterialsuppliers inadditiontowarehousesandsmallfoodserviceoutlets.
Thezoningallowsforawidevarietyof industrialusesrangingfrom industrialprocessing
torecyclingfacilities.
2.7 DistancestoNearestSchools,HospitalsandCareFacilities
The following Table B summarizes the distance and direction to the nearest schools,
hospitals,andcarefacilities.ItisevidentbasedontheinformationbelowthattheSiteis
relativelyremote. Specifically,thenearestschoolandthenearesthospital/carefacility
are11kmand15kmfromtheSiterespectively.
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TableB:DistancestoNearestSchools,HospitalsandCareFacilities
PublicFacility Direction Distance
Schools CobbleHillElementary3642LearningWay
S 15km
DiscoveryElementary2204McKeanRd. NNW 11km
WillwayElementary2939Mt.WellsDrive SSE 11.5km
EcoleMillBay3175CobbleHillRoad SSW 13km
SpencerMiddleSchool1026GoldstreamAve. SSE 13.5km
GeorgeBonnerMiddleSchool3060CobbleHillRoad NNE 12.5km
BelmontSecondarySchool3067JacklinRoad SSE 14.5km
FrancesKelseySecondarySchool953Shawnigan/MillBayRd. NNE 11.5km
GeorgeBonnerMiddleSchool3060CobbleHillRoad NNE 12.5km
HospitalsCowichanDistrictHospital3045Gibbins. NNW 27km
PrioryHospital567Goldstream SSE 15km
VictoriaGeneralHospital1HospitalWay. SE 16km
CareFacilitiesPriory(Hiscock&HeritageWoods)567GoldstreamAvenue SSE 15km
AcaciaTyMawr2655ShawniganLakeRoad, SE 16km
JeskenAerie817GoldstreamAvenue SSE 14km
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3.0 ReceivingEnvironment
A primary objective of this Technical Assessment Report is to document the Site
conditionsanddeterminethepotentialforimpactstothereceivingenvironmentbasedon
the Site conditions and theproposed activities. This sectionof the reportdescribes in
detailthesoilandgroundwaterconditionsattheSite, identifiespotentialreceptorssuch
as water wells and surface water bodies, and outlines the proposed environmental
monitoringplan. The informationpresented isobtainedfromSitespecific investigations
conductedtodate,inadditiontopubliclyavailablesourcesofinformation.
3.1 SoilConditions
TheSiteisunderlainbyshallowbedrock,withathinblanketoftillsoilsatsurfaceinareas
beyond the footprintof the rockquarry. The rockmined from thequarry isextremely
hard,whichhas resulted in the landform comprising a knoblike,dome shaped surface
and local topographichighareabecauseof the resistance toerosionversus softer rock
typessurroundingtheSite.
Thebedrock at the Site is comprisedof igneous granodiorite andmetamorphic gneiss.
Thegranodiorite isdescribedasmediumgrained, lightgrey togreen incolor,withdark
maficmineralgrainswhichgive ita speckledappearance. Thegneiss isadarkgrey to
blackcolouredrockwithafinelybandedappearance,andiscomposedofmineralssuchas
hornblendeandplagioclasefeldspar. Themonitoringwells logs(AppendixD)distinguish
thesetworocktypesasrecordedduringdrilling.
Asa resultofminingoperations todate,all surficial soilshavebeen stripped from the
quarryareaexposingtheunderlyingbedrock.
Thesoilconditionsarepresented inthecrosssectionsthroughtheSiteandsurrounding
areas,providedasFigures5,6and7.
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3.2 Hydrogeology
Theregionaland localhydrogeologicconditionsarepresented incrosssectionsprovided
onFigures5,6and7.WelllogsobtainedfromtheMOEdatabase,andlogsformonitoring
wellsinstalledontheSite,areincludedinAppendixD.
Regionally,theSite is locatedwithintheupperreachesofthesouthernShawniganLake
catchment,andapproximately5kmfromShawniganLake.Thegroundwaterflowregime
that links the upper reaches of the catchment to Shawnigan Lake includes deep flow
through fractures in the bedrock. Recharge to this flow regime is from infiltration of
precipitation through exposed and connected fracture zones at higher elevations and
throughperchedsurfacewaterbodies intheuppercatchmentsuchaswetlands,ponds,
lakes and streams that sit directly over the bedrock. There is a significant elevation
difference from the upper reaches of the catchment and the regional groundwater
discharge elevation at Shawnigan Lake. The upper bedrock appears to be less
permeable/fracturedthanthedeeperbedrockactingasaconfininglayer.Asaresult,the
piezometricelevationsaregenerallynearorabovegroundsurfacealongthedeepregional
bedrockgroundwaterflowpath.
Within theShawnigan Lake catchment thereare localizedareaswithgroundwater flow
through overburden soils. These overburden aquifers are recharged predominantly by
infiltrationofprecipitation,whichisenhancedbyincreasedrunofffromsurroundingareas
withsteepslopesandshallowbedrock.Theseoverburdenaquifersarefoundinthelower
elevationareasoftheShawnigancatchmentwheresoilshaveaccumulated inthevalley
bottom. Existingwell#83568, located inthevalleybottomapproximately700mtothe
northoftheSite,demonstratesthepotentialforlocalizedoverburdenaquifers(Figures3,
4and5).
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Atotalof fivemonitoringwellswere installedtodeterminethegroundwaterconditions
beneaththeSite.Thesewellsareidentifiedas:
MW111S;
MW111D;
MW112;
MW113S;and,
MW113D.
Themonitoringwell logsare included inAppendixD. Themonitoringwells installedon
theSitedidnotencounteranywaterbearing fractureswithin theupper17m (55 ft)of
thebedrock.Fracturezoneswithminimalwaterwereencounteredatdepthsbetween18
and 19m (58 and 61 ft) atMW113 and between 37 and 43m (121 and 141 ft) at
MW112. Theonly significant fracture zoneencountered in the threemonitoringwells
wasat82m(269ft)depthatMW111.Itisalsonotedthatthewatersupplywellonthe
Site(MOE#86152)didnotencounteranysignificantwaterbearingfracturesuntiladepth
of79m(258ft).
Thereappearstobeastratificationoffracturedensity/permeabilitybeneaththeSite. It
maybepossibletogeneralizethebedrockinto2distinctlayersasfollows:
UpperBedrockfrom0to75m(0to250ft):Negligiblegroundwaterflow.
DeepBedrockbelow75m(250ft):Minorgroundwaterflow.
Themonitoringwellswere installedwithin theactivepitatelevations rangingbetween
approximately 320 mgeod. and 330 mgeod. The ultimate pit bottom elevation is
313.5mgeod.,therefore,therewillbegreaterthan65moftheupper lowpermeability
bedrockthatwillremainbeneaththeultimatepitbottomattheSite.
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Hydraulic response testing was performed on all five monitoring wells in order to
determinethehydraulicconductivityofthebedrockaquifer.Theresultsoftherisinghead
tests are summarized in the following Table C. The field test data and details of the
analysesareincludedinAppendixE.
Thestaticwater levelswere initiallymeasuredonSeptember11,2011,and itwasnoted
thatboth shallow anddeeppiezometers atMW113were artesian at that time. As a
result,thePVCcasingswereextendedandresurveyedtoallowformeasurementofthe
piezometricelevationsatthis location. Theelevationsweremonitoreduntilstatic levels
wereachievedaspresentedinTableCformeasurementsobtainedonJune27,2012.
TableC:SummaryofHydraulicResponseTestingonMonitoringWells
MonitoringWell
TopofPVC FractureZone ScreenInterval StaticLevel HydraulicConductivityElev Depth Elev Depth Elev Depth Elev
(mgeod.) (m) (mgeod.) (m) (mgeod.) (m) (mgeod.) (m/s)
MW111S 329.99 none n/a 4450 279285 7.84 322.15 1.6x1010
MW111D 329.96 82 247 7884 245251 7.88 322.09 1.6x107
MW112 324.13 3743 279285 3743 279285 2.68 321.46 7.4x1010
MW113S 323.142 1819 301302 1521 299305 1.39 321.76 7.6x1010
MW113D 322.929 none n/a 4046 274280 1.83 321.10 5.7x1010
ThegroundwaterflowvelocitythroughthedeepbedrockaquiferunderlyingtheSitemay
beestimatedbyaformoftheDarcyEquationasfollows:
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V=(Kxi)/n,where
V=groundwaterflowvelocity
K=hydraulicconductivityofaquifer
i=hydraulicgradient
n=effectiveporosityofaquifer
This equation applies directly to the movement of a fluid through a porous media.
Therefore, the assumption is made that the bedrock fractures are significantly
interconnectedtoemulateaporousmedia. This isacommonlyusedassumptionand is
considered to be reasonable for the bedrock conditions at the Site. The individual
parametersarediscussedinthefollowing:
Thehydraulic conductivityhasbeendeterminedby thehydraulic response tests
andisapproximatedtobe:
o 7.6x1010m/swithintheupperbedrockfrom0to75mdepth;ando 1.6x107m/swithinthedeepbedrockbelow75mdepth.
The hydraulic gradient within the upper bedrock was measured to be 0.7%
towardsthenorthwestonJune27,2012.
Thehydraulicgradientofthedeep,regionalbedrockisestimatedtobe5%,based
onthefollowing:
o TheelevationdifferencebetweenmonitoringwellMW111Dpiezometriclevel on the Site (322 mgeod.) and the elevation of Devereaux Lake
(400mgeod.), located approximately 1,500 m upgradient of the Site.
LeakagefromthebaseofDevereauxLakeisinferredtorechargethedeep
bedrock aquifer, and the conservative assumption of a direct hydraulic
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connectionbetweenDevereauxLakeandthedeepbedrockaquiferresults
inahydraulicgradientestimateof5.2%.
o The elevation difference between the upper regional bedrock aquiferrecharge area (500 mgeod.) and the elevation of Shawnigan Lake
(120mgeod.), divided by the separation distance (8,000m) provides a
regionalgradientestimateof4.8%.
The effective porosity of the bedrock aquifer is estimated to be 15% for the
purposeofcalculatingtherateofgroundwaterflowbeneaththeSite.
Therefore, based on the above, the groundwater flow velocity through the bedrock
aquifersbeneaththeSiteareestimatedtobe:
UpperBedrock=0.001m/year;and
DeepBedrock=1.7m/year.
Atthesevelocities, itrequiresthefollowingnumberofyearsforgroundwaterrecharged
fromtheSitetoreachShawniganLakeapproximately5kmaway:
UpperBedrock=3,000,000years;and
DeepBedrock=103,000yearsincludingverticalandhorizontalflowpaths.
Therearesomesignificantconclusionsthatmaybedrawnwithrespecttotheproposed
facilityandthehydrogeologicconditionsattheSite,asfollows:
Groundwater flow through theupperbedrockat theSite isnegligible, therefore
theriskofimpactinggroundwaterislimitedtothedeepgroundwaterflowthrough
bedrock.
Deepgroundwaterflowthroughbedrockoccursbeneathaconfininglayeroflower
permeabilitybedrockapproximately65m(210ft)inthicknessatthecompletionof
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mining. This layer protects the deep bedrock aquifer from impacts originating
fromabovesuchastheproposedfacility.
Theverticaltraveltimefromgroundsurfacetothedeepbedrockaquiferwouldbe
greaterthan100,000yearsusingtheverticalgradientmeasuredbetweenMW11
1SandMW111D(0.4%).
Deepgroundwaterflowoccursatavelocityofapproximately1.7m/year,whichis
veryslowandthereforefurthermitigatestheriskofenvironmentalimpacts.
The horizontal groundwater travel time to Shawnigan Lake within the deep
bedrockaquifer isapproximately3,000years. This isasignificant lengthoftime
whichfurthermitigatestheriskofenvironmentalimpacts.
The horizontal groundwater travel timewithin the deep bedrock aquifer to the
nearestexistingwatersupplywell(MOEWellTag#86152),located150mfromthe
Site, isestimatedtobeapproximately88years (plusanadditional100,000years
forverticaltraveltime).
Anyleachategeneratedbytheproposedfacilityhassignificantverticalseparation
fromthedeepbedrockaquifer;
Overall,thepotentialforleachatederivedfromtheproposedfacilitytoimpactthe
environmentviagroundwaterflowthroughthebedrockisextremelyremote.
3.3 NearbyDrinkingWater,Irrigation,andLivestockWells
TheBCMinistryofEnvironmentonlineWELLSdatabaseandWaterResourcesAtlaswere
used to identifywells in thestudyarea. The locationsof identifiedwellsareshownon
Figure3,andrecordsforpertinentwells located incloseproximitytotheSiteandalong
the regional crosssection are included in AppendixD. No irrigation or livestockwells
were identified. All pertinentwell records indicate that thewells are used to supply
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drinkingwater.Asummaryofallwellswithin1kmoftheSiteisprovidedinthefollowing
TableD.
TableD:SummaryofWaterWellswithin1kmoftheSiteMOEID DepthtoBedrock WellDepth WellYield
WellTagNo. (m) (ft) (m) (ft) (USGPM)
83527 6.1 20 94 307 3
83531 16.8 55 63 207 20
85099 0.6 2 215 707 2.5
86036 12.8 42 135 442 1.25
86037 0.9 3 110 362 35
86152 0.0 0 99 325 20
89253 2.7 9 69 227 10
93401 0.0 0 38 125 30
95480 4.3 14 81 265 6
95485 2.4 8 123 405 4
96080 1.5 5 62 205 3
Average 4 14 99 325 12
As shown in theabove table,groundwater supplywells in theareaaverageadepthof
approximately 100m,which concurswith the conclusions drawn in Section 3.2 of this
reportregardingthestratificationofwaterbearingfracturesinthebedrockinthisregion.
In general, water wells are drilled to the minimum depth required to produce the
necessaryyield.Therefore,theapproximately75mthicknessoflowpermeabilityrockat
groundsurfaceidentifiedontheSiteappearstobeapplicabletothesurroundingbedrock
intheareaasinferredfromthewellswithin1kmoftheSite.
Well93401islabeledonFigures3and4,anditslogisincludedinAppendixB.Thiswellis
locatedapproximately600msouthwest(upgradient)oftheSite. Thewell log indicates
thatitwascompletedto38mdepth.Thegroundelevationatthiswellisapproximately
385mindicatingacompletionelevationofapproximately347m.Therefore,thebottom
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of thewell is above the original ground surface elevation on the Site. As a result, no
groundwater flow canoccur from theSite to thiswellevenunderpumping conditions.
Extrapolating Section BB (Figure 6), it is anticipated that thiswill is completed in the
lower bedrock unit despite its shallow depth. It is noted that the thickness of the
confiningupperbedrockdecreasesupgradientof theSiteandat thehigherelevations
whererechargetotheloweraquiferoccurs.ThisisillustratedonFigure6.
The BC Ministry of Environment provides an online Water Resources Atlas
(http://www.env.gov.bc.ca/wsd/data_searches/wrbc/)thatmapsallmajoraquifersinthe
provinceandprovidesratings(low,moderateorhigh)foraquifercharacteristic including
productivity,demandandvulnerability. TheAtlasdoesnotmapanaquiferbeneaththe
subjectSite,andthetwonearestaquiferstotheSiteareshownonFigure3anddescribed
below:
ShawniganLake/CobbleHillAquifer: Locatedapproximately2kmnorthofthe
Site,thisbedrockaquifer isdescribedas lowproductivity,moderatedemandand
highvulnerability.
SpectacleLake/MalahatAquifer: Locatedapproximately1kmeastoftheSite,
thisbedrockaquifer isdescribedasmoderateproductivity, lowdemandandhigh
vulnerability.
TheShawniganLake/CobbleHillAquiferislocatedapproximately2kmdowngradientof
theSite,andthetraveltimeforgroundwaterflowwithinthedeepbedrockbeneaththe
Site to reach the mapped aquifer is estimated to be approximately 1,000 years
(horizontallyonlyandnotincludingverticalflowfromgroundsurfacetothedeepaquifer
whichwould requireanadditional100,000yearsor so). TheSpectacle Lake /Malahat
Aquifer is locatedwithinadifferentcatchmentareathantheSite,andthereforethere is
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nohydraulicconnectionbetweengroundwaterinthedeepbedrockbeneaththeSiteand
thisaquifer.
3.4 ApplicableCSRSiteSpecificFactors
Theexisting landuseasa rockquarry is considered tobe Industrial (IL)under theCSR
classification. Theproposeduse as a contaminated soil treatment anddisposal facility
wouldalsobeconsideredCSRIL.
TheproximityofShawniganCreekanditstributariesresultintheCSRfreshwaterAquatic
Life (AW) standards being applicable to the Site. In addition the BC ApprovedWater
QualityGuidelines(BCAWQG)areapplicabletonearbysurfacewaterbodies.
The presence of approximately 75m of very low permeability (1010m/s) bedrock at
ground surfaceand sincenoexistingwellsarepresentwithin150m, removes theCSR
DrinkingWater (DW) standards from being applicable to the Site. The CSR Technical
Guidance Document 6 (Water Use Determination) indicates that Drinking Water
Standards(DW)applywherecurrentdrinkingwatersources(groundorsurface)arewithin
500mof theouterextentofagroundwatercontaminationsource. If thegroundwater
flowdirectionhasbeenreliablydetermined,thisdistanceislimitedto100mupgradient
(remainingat500mdowngradient)oftheouterextentofacontaminationsource.
Futuredrinkingwaterusemustalsobeconsidered in theevaluationofwhetherornot
DWstandardsapplyatasite.Thisincludesevaluationoftheunderlyingaquifertoassess
hydraulicparametersincludingyieldandhydraulicconductivity.Iftheaquiferunderlying
a sitehasahydraulic conductivitygreater than1X106m/s,anda yieldgreater thanor
equalto1.3L/min,thenDWstandardsareconsideredtoapply.
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Exceptions to the application ofDW include situationswhere the natural groundwater
qualityisconsideredunsuitablefordrinkingwaterusebasedonelevatedTotalDissolved
Solids (TDS 4,000mg/L); orwhere groundwater is containedwithin organic soils or
muskeg.Also,insituationswherethereexistsaconfininggeologicalunitthatadequately
protectstheaquifer,DWdoesnotapply. Aconfininggeologicalunit isdefinedasbeing
uniformandfreeoffractures,continuousacrossthesite,andgreaterthan5mthickwitha
bulkhydraulicconductivitylessthanorequalto1X107m/s.
InordertoaddressthepotentialapplicabilityofDWbasedoncurrentuses,ActiveEarth
searchedtheBCWaterResourceAtlas. Thissearchrevealedthenearestdrinkingwater
welltobeapproximately150meastoftheSiteboundary, inanupgradientorientation
relative to the Site (well tag 95485). No wells were indicated in a downgradient
orientation within the 1 km search radius. The onSite well (86152) is not used for
potabilitypurposes.
In order to assess future drinking water use, we determined there to be a suitable
confining geological unit in the form of the upper bedrock. This confining unit was
determinedtomeetthecriteriaspecifiedinGuidanceDocument6.
Followingclosureoftheproposedfacility,therewillbea2mcleansoilcapplacedoverthe
Sitethatweremoveterrestrialexposurepathwaystothecontaminatedsoil,inadditionto
theLLDPEcap liner. Theclosedfacilitywillposenounacceptableriskstohumanhealth
and/ortheenvironment.
3.5 HydrologyofWaterDischargeLocation
SurfacewaterfeaturesonandsurroundingtheSiteareshownonFigure4.Thesefeatures
include:
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ShawniganCreektotheeastoftheproposedfacilityontheSite;
Anephemeral tributary toShawniganCreek to thenorthwestof theSite,witha
tributary to this thatoriginateson the Site and flows from the Siteat thewest
propertyline;
AnephemeralwetareaontheSite,tothesoutheastoftheproposedfacility,that
drainsintoShawniganCreekalongaditch;
AnexistingSettlingpondontheSite,tothesoutheastoftheproposedfacility,that
drainsintotheabovedescribedephemeralwetarea;and
ExistingSettlingpondswithintheexistingquarryfootprint,onthewestsideofthe
Site,thatwillbeaugmentedfortheproposedfacility.
ThepredevelopedSiteconsistedofacentralcrestwith runoff travellingdownhill inall
directions;reportingtoanephemeraltributaryofShawniganCreektothenorthwestand
directly to ShawniganCreek to the east. The final capof the proposed landfill facility
would generally reinstate the predeveloped Site conditions. During operation of the
proposedfacility,theephemeraltributaryoriginatingontheSiteandexitingatthewest
propertylinewouldbethereceptorofallwaterdischarges.Itisproposedtodischargeall
waterdirectlytothissurfacewaterbodyontheSitefollowingmonitoringandtreatment.
ThetributarylocatedonthewestsideoftheSitethatwillbetheinitialreceptorofwater
discharges from theproposed facilitydoesnotappear to sustainabaseflow in thedry
summer months, as evidenced by Site reconnaissance of the area in August 2011.
However,thegroundsurfacealongthissurfacewaterflowpathwaywasobservedtobeat
ornearsaturationduringthereconnaissance.
ShawniganCreekflowsthroughtheSite,withinaprotectedcovenantareatotheeastof
theexistingquarry andproposed facilityoperations. During the late summer, flows in
ShawniganCreekareestimatedto fallbelow5USgpm (seephotos inAppendixC). This
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baseflow is sustained from discharges from small lakes upstream of the Site including
DevereauxLakeandLoganLake.
TheSitecomprisesapproximately0.3%ofthesouthernShawniganLakecatchmentarea,
andthereforedoesnothavethepotentialtosignificantly impacthydrologicalconditions
withinthecatchment.
A contingency area for collection of stormwater drainage and potential discharge is
located in the southeastareaof the Site,and consistsof anexisting Settlingpondand
ephemeral wet area that drains to Shawnigan Creek. Augmentation of the existing
Settlingpondandditchwould likelybe requiredprior to incorporating thiscontingency
areaintotheproposedfacilitystormwatermanagementsystem.Additionalsurfacewater
monitoringofthisareawouldalsobeundertakenifthisareaistobeutilized.
During operation, the proposed facility will not have a significant impact on the
surrounding surfacewater bodies as discharge volumeswill not be increased over the
existingquarryoperation.ThemajorityoftheSiteiscurrentlyexposedbedrockwithinthe
footprint of the quarry and proposed facility, therefore, runoff rates will not be
appreciablyincreasedbydevelopmentoftheproposedfacility.Uponclosure,theSitewill
berestoredtonearpredevelopmentconditionswithrespecttosurfacewaterflows.
3.6 EnvironmentalMonitoringPlan
Theenvironmentalmonitoringplan includes groundwater and surfacewaterbodies at,
and immediately adjacent to, the Site. Analyses included physical parameters, anions,
nutrients, bacteriological, total metals, dissolved metals, volatile organic compounds,
polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons and extractable petroleum hydrocarbons. The
laboratoryanalyticalreportsareincludedinAppendixF.
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Thegroundwatermonitoringplanhasbeeninitiatedbytheinstallationoffivemonitoring
wellsatthreelocationsontheSite.Samplesfromthesewellshavebeenanalyzedandthe
resultsarepresentedonTables1through4.ThegroundwaterqualitymeetstheCSRAW
(Aquatic Life) standards for all parameters tested with the exceptions of Cadmium,
ManganeseandSodium. Noexceedences forCSRDW (DrinkingWater)standardswere
measuredinthemonitoringwells.
Baseline surface water samples were collected from three locations along Shawnigan
CreekandthreelocationsalongtheephemeraltributarytothewestoftheSite,asshown
onFigures4,8and15.Thesurfacewatermonitoringlocationsarelocatedupstreamand
downstreamoftheproposedfacility,andtheanalyticalresultsarepresentedonTable5
through8.ThesurfacewaterqualitymeetstheBCAWWQGstandardsforallparameters
testedwiththeexceptionsofNitrate,Barium,Chromium,IronandToluene.
Considerationwasgivenfortheneedtoconductbenthicorganismandsedimentsampling
withintheephemeraltributarytoShawniganCreek.However,basedonthehighquality
ofthedischargedwater(meetsBCAWWQGandTSS
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3.7 CumulativeEffectsfromOtherDischargesintheArea
Thesurrounding landuseswerereviewedto identifyotherdischargesoractivities inthe
area thatcouldhaveacumulativeeffecton the impactsanticipated from theproposed
facility.Thereviewidentifiedtwoexistingoperations:
TheminingactivitiesonthesubjectSite;and
ThedepositofcleansoilontheadjacentfillSitetothenorthonStebbingsRoad.
The cumulative effect of the proposed facility with consideration of the two existing
activitieswouldbenegligibleorresultinanimprovement.
Thegroundwaterflowsystemwithinthebedrockaquiferisnotexpectedtobeimpacted
byeither theexistingorproposedactivitiesasa resultof thehydrogeologic conditions
presentattheSite(seeSection3.2).
Theproposed surfacewatermanagement systemwillensureall runoff isappropriately
diverted,collected,treatedanddischarged. Thiswillresult inanegligible impacttothe
receivingenvironment.Furthermore,theproposedsurfacewatermanagementsystemis
more robust than theexisting systemon the Site currentlyutilized for the rockmining
operation. Since the quarry and the proposed facility will operate within the same
footprint,theneteffectoftheproposedsurfacewatermanagementsystem isexpected
tobeanimprovement.Agreaterlevelofcontrolandmonitoringwillbeinplacetoensure
potentialenvironmentalimpactsareminimized.
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4.0 SourceMaterial
Ingeneral,thetargetsourcematerialfortheproposedfacilityincludescontaminatedsoils
andsomeindustrialwastespresentonsitesintheSouthernVancouverIslandregion.
The sourcematerialwould contain concentrationsof regulated substances thatexceed
applicable landuse standards asdefinedby theBCCSR and/orCCMEGuidelines. The
contaminationwouldhave resulted froma rangeofcommercialand industrialactivities
suchasthoselistedinSchedule2oftheCSR.
Nodisposalofliquidswillbepermitted.
It isanticipated that themajorityof thesourcematerialwould requiremovement from
thegivensourcesitestofacilitateremediation.
4.1 ContaminantsofConcern
Soilsacceptedattheproposedfacilitymaycontainoneormoreofthecontaminantslisted
undertheContaminatedSitesRegulation,Schedules4,5,7and10.Thebroadcategories
ofcontaminantsandspecificcontaminantsineachcategoryincludethefollowing:
InorganicSubstancesMetals
PetroleumHydrocarbonsBenzene,Ethylbenzene,Toluene,Xylenes(BTEX),Styrene,Methyl Tributyl Ether (MTBE), Volatile Petroleum Hydrocarbons (VPH), LightExtractable Petroleum Hydrocarbons (LEPH), Heavy Extractable PetroleumHydrocarbons(HEPH)
Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons Benzo[a]pyrene, benz[a]anthracene,benzo[b]fluoranthene, benzo[k]fluoranthene, dibenz[a,h]anthracene, indeno[1,2,3cd]pyrene,naphthalene,phenanthrene,pyrene,
Chlorinated Hydrocarbons Chlorinated aliphatics (chloroform, dichloroethane,dichloroethene, dichloromethane, 1,2dichloropropane, 1,3dichloropropene, carbon
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tetrachloride, trichloroethane), chlorobenzenes (trichlorobenzene,tetrachlorobenzene, pentachlorobenzene), dichlorobenzenes (1,2dichlorobenzene,1,3dichlorobenzene, 1,4dichlorobenzene), hexachlorobenzene, lindane,monochlorobenzene, tetrachloroethylene, trichloroethylene, vinyl chloride,polychlorinatedbiphenyls.
Phenolic Substances Chlorinated phenols (chlorophenol isomers, dichlorophenols,trichlorophenols, tetrachlorophenols), pentachlorophenol, nonchlorinated phenols(2,4dimethylphenol, 2,4dinitropheno, 2methyl 4,6dinitrophenol, nitrophenol,phenol,cresol)
GlycolsEthyleneGlycol,PropyleneGlycol
Wastematerialsfromindustrialprocessesincludeincineratorash(nonHazardousWaste)
withcontaminantsofpotentialconcernincludingmetalsandhydrocarbons,perabove.No
liquidwasteswillbeaccepted.
4.2 MaximumConcentrations
Soilsacceptedattheproposedfacilitywillnotexceedthestandardssetoutforhazardous
wasteintheHWR(i.eHazardousWastewouldnotbeaccepted).Allsoilswillalsobenon
leachable. Soilwith contaminant concentrations exceeding CSR residential, commercial
andindustrialstandardswouldbeaccepted.
Potentially problematic parameters including moisture content, pH and incompatible
wastetypesarediscussedinthefollowing.
SoilMoistureContent
Moisturecontentcanbecomeproblematicwhensoilsaresupersaturatedandfreewater
is able to drain from the soil. This freewater can provide a transportmechanism for
contaminantstomobilizeandpotentiallycreateleachate;atleastuntilthesoildrainstoa
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stable moisture content. However, the potential to generate leachate from
supersaturatedsoils isconsideredtopresentavery lowriskasthesoilsacceptedtothe
facilitywillnotbe leachableand thevolumeofwaterderived fromsupersaturatedsoils
willbesmall. Nonetheless,thepossibilityofspecifyingmaximummoisturecontents for
soiltobepermanentlyencapsulatedwasevaluatedasdescribedinthefollowing.
The maximum moisture content that can be held within the soil before it becomes
supersaturated is related to the soil type. There isawide rangeof saturatedmoisture
contentsthatcanoccurfordifferentsoiltypesasshowninthefollowingtable.
TableE:SoilTypevsMoistureContent
SoilType SaturatedMoistureContent
Gravel
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moisture content. Soilsmusthaveamoisture contentbelow saturation inorder tobe
placedwithinthepermanentencapsulationarea.
Based on the continuum for potential moisture content, visual inspection of soils is
consideredtobetheonlypracticalwayofassessingthepresenceofsupersaturatedsoils.
ToreiteratethatthepossibilityexistsforsupersaturatedsoilstobeacceptedtotheSoil
ManagementArea,however,thesesoilswillbetreatedtoreducethemoisturecontentto
belowsaturationpriortopermanentencapsulation.
SoilpH
The potential for pH to be problematic either by impacting liner stability and/or
mobilizationofcontaminantssuchasmetalsfromsoilrequireseitherdirectlinercontact
ora transportmechanism suchas themigrationofwater. Without theability to react
withthe liner,pHdoesnotposeariskto linerstability. Withoutatransportmechanism
such as water, it is not possible to mobilize contaminants and therefore pH is not
consideredasignificantrisk.
Thesoilplacedinthepermanentencapsulationcellsisseparatedfromdirectcontactwith
the linersviathecleansanddrainageblanketandgeofabrics,removingthepotentialfor
directlinercontact.
The facilitydesignandoperationaimstoremovethetransportmechanismandmitigate
the potential for leachate generation. Temporary and permanent coversmitigate the
impacts of incident precipitation both within the soil management area and the
permanentencapsulationarea. Sitedrainageworksensure that thecellsareprotected
against runoff, and screening for supersaturated soils mitigates the potential for soil
moisturetoproduceleachate.
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Any leachategeneratedwillbecollected,monitoredandtreatedpriortodischarge. The
treatment systemwill have the ability to handle a full range of potential pH levels if
encountered.
IncompatibleWasteTypes
Similar to the rationaledescribedabove forpH, thepotential forcomplications toarise
fromincompatiblewastetypesisconsideredtobelowbecauseofthelackofatransport
mechanism for the waste types to interact. That said, precautions will be taken to
segregate potentially incompatiblewastes by encapsulating thesewastematerials into
separatecells. Cellsizesarevery flexibleand it ispossible tocreateverysmallcells to
mitigatethisconcernasneeded
4.3 ConfirmationSoilisNotHazardousWaste
Ingeneral,soilswillbecharacterizedatthesourcesiteandthedatawillbereviewedby
qualifiedpersonnelprior to acceptance to the facility. Therewillbe a requirement to
provide key laboratory analytical data to support the determination of soil as non
Hazardous Waste. For example, all materials will require leachability testing results
performedbyanaccreditedlaboratory.Thisstepwillprovidetheprimaryconfirmationof
soilquality.
Hazardous Wastes as defined under the Hazardous Waste Regulation are not to be
imported to the landfill facility. Thiswould includeall categoriesofHazardousWastes
listedintheRegulations.TheWasteApprovalApplicationFormrequiresthatGenerators
state thatHazardousWastes arenotpresent. In addition, analyticaldataprovided for
each shipment of soilwill be reviewed against theHWR standards,which include the
following:
BiomedicalWastesasdefinedintheHWR.
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Free Liquidmeansanyquantityofa liquidwhich is separated froma solidwhensubjectedtotheFreeLiquidTestProceduredescribedinPart3ofSchedule4.
HouseholdHazardousWastesasdefinedbytheHWR.
Leachable ToxicWaste Meanswastewhen subject to the extraction proceduredescribed in the US EPA Method 1311 produces an extract with a contaminantconcentrationgreaterthanthoseprescribedinTable1ofSchedule4.
PCBWastesmeansPCBliquid,PCBsolidandPCBequipmentthathavebeentakenoutof service for thepurposeof treatment, recycling, reuseordisposalor for thepurposeofstoragepriortotreatment,recycling,reuseordisposal.
RadioactiveWastemeanswaste containingaprescribed substanceasdefined inthe Atomic Energy Control Act in sufficient quantity of concentration to require alicenceforpossessionoruseunderthatActandregulationsmadeunderthatAct.
WasteAsbestosmeansawastecontainingfriableasbestosfibresorasbestosdustinaconcentrationgreaterthan1%byweighteitheratthetimeofmanufacture,orasdeterminedusingamethodspecifiedinSection40(1).
WasteContainingDioxinmeansawastecontainingdioxinTEQ (asdefined in theHWR)inaconcentrationgreaterthan100partsperbillionbyweight.
Waste containing Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons means waste containingpolycyclicaromatichydrocarbons inatotalconcentrationgreaterthan100partspermillionmeasuredaspolycyclicaromatichydrocarbonTEQ(asdefinedbytheHWR)byweight.
Waste Containing Tetrachloroethylene means a waste containingtetrachloroethyleneinaconcentrationgreaterthan100partsperbillionbyweight.
WasteOilmeansautomotive lubricatingoil,cuttingoil,fueloil,gearoil,hydraulicoiloranyotherrefinedpetroleumbasedoilorsyntheticoilwheretheoilsareinthewaste ina totalconcentrationgreater than3%byweightand theoils throughuse,storage or handling have become unsuitable for their original purpose due to thepresenceofimpuritiesorlossoforiginalproperties.
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WastePestControlProductsincludescontainersandwastecontainingpestcontrolproducts, including wastes produced in the production of treated wood productsusingpestcontrolproducts.
The Transportation of Dangerous Goods (TDG) regulation also specifies Hazardous
Wastes,however,thiswillnotbeusedforscreeningcontaminantsatthefacility.Rather,
thisRegulationwouldbeusedtomanagethemovementandtransportationofWastes
It isrecognizedthatsomeparametersmayexceedHWRLQSwhenCSR ILstandardsare
met. Forthisreason,allsubstanceswillbescreenedagainsttheHWRLQSbyassuming
the entire concentration is leachable (i.e. multiplying the LQS by 20 L/kg). When
substancesarefoundinexcessoftheselevels,thentheGeneratorSitewillberequiredto
providetheTCLPanalysistoconfirmalackoftheHWRLQSexceedances.
4.4 QA/QCofIncomingSoilQuality
To confirm the quality of incoming soil meets the requirements of the facility, the
followingprotocolswillbefollowed:
Contaminatedsoilwillbecharacterizedatthesourcesite inaccordancewiththe
CSRrequirements,priortorelocationtothefacility.Thisdatawillbereviewedby
qualifiedprofessionalfacilityrepresentativespriortoanysoilbeingrelocated.
All soilswillbe initially stored in theSoilManagementArea forassessmentand
confirmationofsoilquality.
AllsoilswillbescreenedagainsttheHWRLQSusingtheruleof20,todetermine
ifconfirmatorycharacterizationisrequired.
Incaseswheresoilcharacterizationatthesourcesiteisconsideredtobemarginal,
additionalcharacterizationatthefacilitywillbeundertakeninaccordancewiththe
MOETechnicalGuidanceDocument1(GD1).
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All incomingsoilwillbesubjecttorandomandsystematicconfirmationfromsoil
samplescollectedbyfacilitypersonnel.
Oncesoilqualityhasbeenconfirmedbyqualifiedpersonnel,thesoilmaythenbe
relocatedon Site to the soil treatment areaor to thepermanentencapsulation
areadependinguponthenatureofthecontaminants.
EmphasisisplacedonsoilbeingappropriatelycharacterizedatthesourceSite;theWaste
Approval Application includes reference to soil characterization in accordancewith
GuidanceDocument1.
Thischaracterizationshould includeappropriateanalyticalQA/QCchecks,andstatistical
analyses in accordance with MOE Technical Guidance Document 12 (Statistics for
Contaminated Sites) and Technical Guidance Documents 10 and 11 (Checklist for
ReviewingPSIandDSIrespectively).
AQualifiedProfessionalwillaccountforthesoilbeingappropriatelycharacterizedpriorto
thesoilbeingacceptedtotheFacility.
Fortheconversionfromtruck loadstovolume,a load isconsideredtobeatandemaxle
dump truck typically carrying about 1214 tonnes. At a density of 2 tonnes/m3, this
representsapproximately67m3ofsoil.
In addition to soil chemical quality, incoming soilswill also be screened formoisture
content. Asdescribedabove,moisturecontentcanbecomeproblematicwhensoilsare
supersaturatedandfreewaterisabletodrainfromthesoil.
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4.5 HoldingCellforSuspect/RejectSoil
AllsoilacceptedtothefacilitywouldbeinitiallyplacedintheSoilManagementArea.This
area will be asphaltpaved with appropriate water management systems in place to
controlandcollectrunoff,monitorwaterquality,treatifnecessaryandthendischargeas
appropriate.
WithintheSoilManagementArea,apermanentlycoveredarea,oranareadesignedfor
coveringsoil(tarpsandlockblocks),willbepresentforthetemporarystorageofsuspect
HazardousWastesoils.Allsuspectsoilswouldbeplacedinthisareaandrecharacterized
toconfirmsoilquality.
Soil identified tomeetorexceed theHWRstandardswouldbeshipped toanapproved
facilityoffSite.
4.6 SoilAcceptancePlan
The soil acceptance plan has twomajor components; acceptance to the facility, and
acceptancetothePermanentEncapsulationArea.
Soilacceptancetothefacilityincludesthefollowingcomponents:
Completion of a standardWaste Approval Application form to filled out by a
qualified,professionalrepresentativeofthesourcesite;
Review of data, reports and available documents by a qualified professional
representative of the facility to assess if soil quality has been adequately
characterized;
Acceptedsoil isreceivedtotheSoilManagementArea foradditionalassessment
and characterization as determined to be necessary by the facilitys qualified
professional;
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Soil received to the SoilManagementAreawillbe stockpiled indesignated and
signedareasinwindrowsorincoveredcellsasdeterminedbysoilquality;
Soilwillbestockpiled intheSoilManagementAreaunderthedirectionoffacility
personnelandallstockpileswillbemarked inthefieldandonthedailystockpile
monitoringsheets(standardizedform);
Oncesoilqualityhasbeenconfirmedbyqualifiedpersonnel,thesoilmaythenbe
relocatedonSite to theSoilTreatmentAreaor to thePermanentEncapsulation
Areadependinguponthenatureofthecontaminants.
SoilacceptedtothePermanentEncapsulationAreacouldbesourcedfromeithertheSoil
Management Area or the Soil Treatment Area depending upon the nature of the
contaminantsandinaccordancewiththefollowing:
SoilsmustbeadequatelycharacterizedasnonHazardousWaste;
Soils with metals contamination may be relocated directly to the Permanent
EncapsulationAreafromtheSoilManagementArea;
Soilswith organic contaminants that are not responding to treatmentmay be
relocatedfromtheSoilTreatmentAreatothePermanentEncapsulationArea;
Soilswillbeplaced inengineered cellswith appropriate liners, covers,drainage
systems,andleachatedetection/collectionsystems;and
Landfill cells will be designed and constructed in conjunction with the quarry
operations to facilitate land reclamation coincidentally with the
progress/completionofminingactivitiesadiscussedindetaillaterinthisreport.
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5.0 SoilDischarge
5.1 VolumeofSoilPerYearDischarged
TheSitehasthecapacity/requirementtoacceptatotalof15,000,000m3ofmaterialfor
minereclamationpurposes.Itisestimatedthatapproximately70%ofthisvolumecould
beutilizedforthepermanentcontainmentofcontaminatedsoils,andtheremaining30%
ofthevolumewouldcomprisethedrainageblankets,covermaterials,finalcapmaterial,
celllayoutinefficienciesandfacilityinfrastructure.
Therockquarryhasanestimatedoperatinglifeof60yearsandiscurrentlyinPhase5of
themineplan(thereareatotalof20Phases).Todate,atotalof580,000m3ofmaterial
hasbeenremovedfromthemineand,assuch,miningisapproximately4%complete.
Theproposedfacilitywouldoperateconcurrentlywiththeminingoperation.Soilswould
be landfilled in cellswithin completed phases of themine. It is difficult to accurately
predictthevolumeofcontaminatedsoilthatwouldbeacceptedannuallyattheproposed
facility, as there are several factors that would impact the demand for a local soil
treatment and disposal facility such as regulatory requirements, real estate market
conditionsand localgovernmentpolicies. It isanticipated thatdemandmaybehigher
initiallyduetoabuildupresultingfromthe lackofa localdisposalalternative,andthen
demandmaydropoff toamorestable levelasdictated largelybyeconomicconditions
andtherealestate/landdevelopmentmarketsinparticular.
Therateofsoildischargedoverthelongtermofthefacilityoperationwouldbelimitedby
therateofaggregateextraction.Therateofaggregateextractionattheminetodate,has
averagedapproximately100,000m3/yearoverthepast6years.Therateofextractionis
anticipated to increaseover themine life inaccordancewithdemand. It isanticipated
that somemodification to theminingoperation sequenceofphaseswillbe required to
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allowfortheconcurrentactivitiesoftheproposedfacility/reclaimationandthemining
operations.
Insummary,soildischargerateswillbelimitedbyrockminingratesprovidedthedemand
ispresent.Therateofrockminingiscurrentlyabout100,000m3/yearandanticipatedto
increaseovertheremainingminelifespanofapproximately60years.Thelongtermrate
forsoilacceptancetothepermanentlandfillwillbelimitedbyeitherthisrateofminingor
thelongtermdemandforasoildisposalfacilityintheregion.Assuch,theapplicationis
madeforannualdischargeofwasteatarateof100,000tonnes.
5.2 Concentrations/LevelatDischarge
TheSiteiscurrentlyclassifiedashavinganindustriallanduse(CSRIL)accordingtotheBC
CSR. The landuseof theSite inpartdetermines theacceptable levelsofcontaminants
thatmaybepresentinshallowsoils.Ifthelanduseofasitechanges(uponclosureofthe
mineandproposedfacility),therewouldbeatrigger(suchasadevelopmentpermit)fora
reevaluation of site conditions, including the assessment of soil quality related to
potentialimpactsonhumanhealthandtheenvironment.
The proposed facility has been developed conceptuallywith the understanding that a
moresensitivefuturelandusewillultimatelyoccupytheSite;suchasresidential(CSRRL)
and/orpark(CSRPL) landuses. Specifically,onlynon leachablesoilswillbeacceptedat
the facility. To provide additional factors of safety, the engineered landfill cells will
permanentlycontainthecontaminatedsoilsandpreventtheexposuretomoistureinthe
event that any leachablematerialwas inadvertently received. An additionalbarrier to
leachate impacts includes a seepage collection system that is routinelymonitored and
treated ifnecessarypriortodischarge. Finally,theentire landfillwillbecoveredwitha
cleansoilcapwithaminimumthicknessof2.0m. Thissoilcapwillmitigateallpotential
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exposurepathwaysforhumansandtheterrestrialecosystem,asitisdoublethethickness
generallyrequiredatriskmanagedcontaminatedsitesinBC.
Soil discharged may exceed the generic numeric soil standards set out in the
EnvironmentalManagementAct(EMA)ContaminatedSitesRegulation(CSR)pertainingto
industrial land use (IL). However,no soil that is classified asHazardousWastewill be
placedatthefacility.
Soilscontaminatedwithorganicsubstancesthatareamenabletobioremediationwillbe
treatedatthefacilitypriortodischarge. Thesesoilswouldbetreatedtoconcentrations
below the CSR IL standards if possiblewith a reasonable level of effort. Successfully
treatedsoilsmaybeusedforcellcovermaterialsifappropriate.
Soils contaminatedwith inorganic substances that are not amenable to treatment via
bioremediationwillbeencapsulatedfollowingstandardfacilityscreeningandtesting.
5.3 ConcentrationConfirmation
Soilreceivingprotocolswillprovideconfirmationofsoilconcentrationsandaredescribed
inSection10ofthisreport.
Soilstreatedatthefacilitywillbereclassified inaccordancewithGD1thatspecifiesthe
recommended density andmethodologies for sampling stockpiles. A copy of GD1 is
includedasAppendixGforeaseofreference.Ingeneral,onesamplewillbecollectedfor
every10m3ofsoilundergoingtreatment.
Typically,soilsundergoingtreatmentwillberandomlysampledtomonitortheprogressof
bioremendation. Complete recharacterization in accordance with GD1 would be
undertakenpriortosoildischarge.Soilstockpilescanbemanagedinaccordance