Fuel-soaked soil to stay in Fort McPherson

The Northwest Territories Power Corporation has finally found a home for about 60 truck loads of soil contaminated during a fire last winter at Fort McPherson's power plant.

It was scheduled to go to Inuvik's town dump, but town council doesn't want it there

The power corporation had already dumped 30 truck loads of diesel-soaked soil in Inuvik's landfill, but were cut off last week when council cancelled plans to accept the rest.

Brian Willows of the Power Corporation says McPherson, about 110 kilometers south of Inuvik, wasn't capable of accepting the soil last year.

Now that's changed, but he wasn't certain why.

"We've been in negotaions with the hamlet for a number of months," he says.

"We've just recently been informed that the community will now accept the soil, and as part of the tipping fee the community will remediate it."

Barb Armstrong, who runs Inuvik's dump, is disappointed she won't see the next 60 truck loads of the soil.

Armstrong says the total tipping fees of $72,000 are hard to part with, but she says there are more important reasons the soil should come to Inuvik.

"I've always been a strong believer in one central site in dealing with these things, not isolated little pockets to deal with wastes," she says.

"So my opinion is that it should be done in some central location where it is monitored and where the people in charge have some background."

Before the soil can be officially accepted by the hamlet, the Gwich'in Land and Water Board will have to give its permission.

But the chair of the board says that shouldn't be a problem.