Port Coquitlam hydrovac company issued warning by province for letting waste seep into ground

A hydrovac excavation company’s waste disposal facility in Port Coquitlam has been issued a warning by the province for introducing waste into the environment.

Ministry of Environment and Climate Change protection officers inspected Badger Infrastructure Solutions Inc.’s facility at 880 Lougheed Highway on May 9.

“The lack of discharge pond containment or lining at the facility allows the solid and liquid waste to infiltrate the ground and is considered an introduction of waste into the environment,” inspectors wrote in the May 27 warning letter.

Inspectors visited the facility to verify compliance with the Environmental Management Act  in response to a complaint it had received.

The location is used by the company for the commercial collection, handling, storage, and disposal of waste solids and liquids from hydro-vac trucks, including sediment, sand and effluent.

Hydrovac trucks deposit waste into discharge ponds at the facility, which originate from residential and commercial properties, construction activities, dewatering, drill cuttings and slurry, concrete displacement water, storm sewer and catch basin cleanup, spill response, and agricultural operations.

A company supervisor on site informed one of the inspection officers these discharge ponds are not lined, which result in the waste seeping into the ground. The officer was also told the ponds had not been tested.

The ministry has ordered the company to immediately make changes at the facility or face fines and other escalating enforcement measures. It has been prioritized for follow-up inspections.

The company does not have a waste discharge permit with the province, and the offense has a max penalty of $1 million or up to six months in prison.

Badger Infrastructure Solutions has been given 30 days to respond to the ministry’s warning letter, advising of what corrective and preventative measures have been taken.