3. How was the area of notification established?   

The area of notification was established based on results of groundwater testing at the gas station and the adjacent lands, Lhtako community water supply testing conducted by the First Nations Health Authority, and hydrogeological modelling conducted by SLR, all of which were reviewed with BC Ministry of Environment and Parks and Northern Health in advance of the tap water sampling program to confirm the area where samples would be collected. The tap water sample results collected to date have confirmed that the area of notification is much larger than the extent of impacted properties. Tap water samples collected between the impacted properties and the limits of the area of notification were all below Health Canada and provincial drinking water criteria.   

 

4. Does the property owner have to pay for the sampling completed by SLR in the area of notification?  

The SLR tap water sampling, initial vapour screening, and vapour sampling (select properties) is being conducted at no cost to the property owner. If property owners in the area choose to conduct additional sampling, those costs would be paid by the property owner.    

 

5. What about testing outside the area of notification?  

Property owners outside the area of notification would need to conduct sampling at their own cost.  

 

6. What parameters is SLR testing for? 

SLR is testing for gasoline-related parameters. These include benzene, toluene, ethylbenzene, xylenes, volatile petroleum hydrocarbons, extractable petroleum hydrocarbons, polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, and other gasoline-related volatile organic compounds.  

 

7. What methods are being used for testing?   

SLR is conducting tap water sampling and is not collecting samples directly from private water wells. The procedure is to flush the system at full flow for at least five minutes and then collect the sample from a faucet or sampling point prior to any treatment systems if possible. The samples are then submitted to a laboratory to be analyzed for the presence of the gasoline related parameters noted in FAQ 6. The laboratory is accredited by the Standards Council of Canada which is registered with the BC Ministry of Environment and Parks under the Environmental Data Quality Assurance Regulation as a qualified laboratory with competency with the chemical analyses performed.  

 

8. What other investigations are being conducted?   (updated June 2025)

Extensive soil, groundwater, and soil vapour investigations have been conducted on the lands surrounding the Lhtako Gas and Convenience Store since April 2023.  Groundwater and soil vapour sampling programs are ongoing to monitor the extent of the contamination and additional monitoring points are being added to the network of groundwater wells and soil vapour probes as needed.

Sampling related to the groundwater containment system is also being conducted and results are being reported to the BC Ministry of Environment and Parks on a regular basis.
    

9. How and when are residents getting the tap water results?   

Following SLR's review of the results from the laboratory, residents were notified verbally by SLR or Lhtako Dene Nation. They can also expect to receive letters from SLR with a summary of their results and a copy of the laboratory certificate. Those who would like a copy of their laboratory certificate in advance of the letter can contact SLR at 250-255-6432. 

 

10. What are the latest tap water sampling results?  (updated June 2025)  

As of May 27, 2025, the tap water sampling results indicate that all off-reserve properties tested in the area of notification have concentrations of gasoline-related parameters below provincial and Health Canada drinking water criteria. The five properties initially identified in 2023 to have tap water results above the provincial and Health Canada drinking water criteria were provided with replacement drinking water wells between November and December 2023

 

11. Will there be additional tap water sampling in the future?  (updated June 2025)

Yes. As part of the ongoing environmental work, tap water and/or indoor air samples will continue to be collected at specific properties in the area of notification.  Depending on the property location within the area of notification, tap water sampling will be conducted at a planned frequency ranging from monthly to biennially (once every two years) and indoor air sampling will be conducted at a frequency ranging from bimonthly to semi-annually (twice a year).  SLR will continue to reach out directly to property owners and/or occupants to coordinate the sampling activities.    

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12. What are the latest indoor air sampling results? (updated June 2025)

​Indoor air samples continue to be collected from five on-reserve and ten off-reserve properties in the area of notification. Concentrations of gasoline-related parameters have been below the BC ENV vapour standards at 8 of the 15 properties in 2024-2025.  Based on these most recent sampling results, 5 of the 15 properties appear to have indoor air concentrations above the provincial standards related to sources other than the fuel release.  

Various mitigation strategies have been employed to address indoor air concentrations above BC ENV vapour standards which are expected to be related to the fuel release. These include the relocation of a residence at one property, the provision of alternate water supplies at multiple properties and the installation of a subslab depressurization system at one property. These measures have successfully reduced concentrations within multiple affected residences to below the provincial vapour standards.  Indoor air sampling is ongoing and results are being reviewed in conjunction with findings from the soil, groundwater and soil vapour investigations to evaluate whether additional vapour mitigation systems may be required at specific properties.​

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13. What work was completed as part of the September 2023 drilling program?

​ Boreholes were advanced (drilled) by a hydroexcavator and drilling rig throughout the Lhtako Gas & Convenience Store area including on roadways and private properties between September 6 and 24, 2023.  Some of these were advanced so that groundwater monitoring wells or soil vapour probes could be installed, while others were advanced as recovery wells and injection wells associated with the pilot groundwater containment system. The boreholes advanced during this program include:

• 4 shallow groundwater monitoring wells

• 13 deeper groundwater monitoring wells

• 3 groundwater containment recovery wells

• 3 groundwater containment injection wells

• 8 soil vapour probes

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Following installation, samples were collected from the groundwater monitoring wells and soil vapour probes for laboratory analysis. At this time, laboratory results are being reviewed.

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14. What results can be shared from ongoing 2023 soil, groundwater, and soil vapour programs?

• To date, very little pure gasoline has been observed which is likely related to the period over which the release occurred (1.5 years) and the fluctuation in the shallow groundwater table over this time which spreads the gasoline out within the soil.   

• Most of the soil contamination had been found on Reserve although some soil contamination has been found off-reserve up to 100 m away from the release area in some locations. 

• Groundwater contamination has been found up to 150 m away from the release area in some locations, and has been consistent with the preliminary hydrogeological modeling completed to establish the area of notification (as outlined in Question 3 above) and with the results of the tap water sampling program.

• Initial soil vapour sampling has shown that the highest subsurface vapour concentrations are located on-Reserve in the immediate vicinity of the gas station and in Arbutus Road immediately northeast, east, and southeast of the gas station.  The soil vapour concentrations correlate to the areas where the most impacted soil and groundwater have been observed.  Soil vapour concentrations were generally low north and southwest of the gas station and in the area of Mica Street.

• Mitigation and remediation planning activities have been initiated and are being discussed with the BC Ministry of Environment and Parks, Northern Health, First Nations Health Authority, and Indigenous Services Canada.

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15. What work was completed as part of the 2024 environmental investigations? (new June 2025)?

The environmental activities conducted in 2024 included the following:
- Tap water and/or indoor air sampling at properties within the area of notification.
- Soil, groundwater and soil vapour sampling.
- Testing and operation of the groundwater containment system.
- Testing and operation of a vapour mitigation system at one residence.
- Testing of new water supply systems installed at five properties
 

16. What results can be shared from the 2024 environmental investigations? (new June 2025)?

• Monitoring and sampling results suggest that the groundwater pumping system is containing the contamination within the drinking water aquifer.  System effluent sampling has confirmed that concentrations of gasoline-related parameters in the treated water being reinjected into the aquifer were below laboratory detection limits and met all discharge criteria. Over 51 million litres of groundwater were extracted, treated and reinjected to the aquifer as part of the operation of the groundwater containment system in 2024.

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• Soil vapour sampling results continue to demonstrate that the highest subsurface vapour concentrations are located on-Reserve in the immediate vicinity of the gas station and adjacent Arbutus Road.  However, localized areas of soil vapour contamination have also been observed on some private properties up to 200 metres from the gas station. Additional investigations are planned in 2025 for these areas.