October 25, 2023 Update

Environmental works in connection with the fuel release at the Lhtako Gas & Convenience Store have continued through September and early October 2023.

Drilling programs were completed from September 5 through September 24, 2023. The drilling programs included the installation of monitoring wells for refining the known extent of groundwater contamination both horizontally and vertically, installation of soil vapour probes for the collection of subsurface vapour samples, installation of additional sentry monitoring wells around the perimeter of the groundwater plume and installation of recovery and injection wells related to the establishment of a groundwater containment system on-reserve (discussed further below).

Sampling of groundwater monitoring wells in the vicinity of the Lhtako Gas & Convenience Store was completed from September 25 through October 2, 2023. A total of 8 locations on-reserve and 13 locations off-reserve were monitored and sampled. Analytical results from all groundwater monitoring wells are pending.

Tap water sampling continued in the Area of Notification through September. Tap water sampling was completed at all accessible properties within the Area of Notification between September 15 and 28, 2023 (the Area of Notification is depicted on the FAQ page). As of October 17, 2023, tap water sampling results have not identified any additional properties in the Area of Notification with concentrations of gasoline-related parameters above provincial and Health Canada drinking water criteria. As of October 17, 2023, the number of properties with detectable concentrations of gasoline-related parameters above the provincial and Health Canada drinking water criteria is five, while the number of properties with detectable concentrations of gasoline-related parameters below the provincial and Health Canada drinking water criteria is four (although some of these detections are not expected to be related to the fuel release). All remaining properties have had tap water concentrations of gasoline-related parameters that are below the laboratory reportable detection limits.

Progress on the establishment and field-testing of the groundwater containment system was made since the last update. The groundwater containment system consists of three recovery wells (i.e. wells installed in target zones from which groundwater is extracted), a network of underground piping connecting the recovery wells to the treatment system on-reserve, a series of activated carbon vessels to remove gasoline-related parameters from the extracted groundwater, and three injection wells on-reserve (i.e. wells into which the treated groundwater is discharged). The design of the groundwater containment system was reviewed with BC Ministry of Environment and Climate Change Strategy and Indigenous Services Canada representatives prior to field-implementation.

Environmental activities are expected to continue through October 2023 and include field-testing and monitoring of the groundwater containment system, ongoing tap water sampling, indoor air sampling, monthly groundwater sampling, soil vapour sampling and field-testing of vapour mitigation systems and drilling of water supply wells at select properties.