Crown Contaminated Sites Program

Malakwa Waste Disposal Site

The Malakwa landfill site is located east of Malakwa, BC, about 300m east of the Trans-Canada Highway and rail bridge crossings over the Eagle River. The Malakwa landfill site was a non-permitted landfill facility used by area residents and commercial operations during the 1960’s and early 1970’s for the disposal of waste materials near the southern bank of Eagle River. In 1975, the site was closed after the Columbia Shuswap Regional District opened a new landfill facility at a different location. During a site inspection conducted in 1970, the Eagle River was located approximately 50 metres north of the landfill, however, fluvial erosion has altered the River course such that the River is now actively eroding the landfill materials.

Little information is available regarding the refuse disposed of into the landfill; however, it likely contains a mix of both municipal and industrial waste products. The aerial extent of the site is about 5,500 m2 based on an estimated 60 m by 90 m site footprint. Along the exposed river bank, the waste is estimated to be about 1 metre thick and 60 metres wide.

In November 2005, preliminary remediation work began with a joint effort between the CCSB and the Department of Fisheries and Oceans Canada (DFO). This work consisted of:

• Removal and stockpiling of shrubs and undergrowth
• Removal and stockpiling of clean over burden
• Excavation of all waste material found along the banks of the Eagle River and moved to an area away from the riverbank to mitigate the potential for high flows to further erode waste material into the river
• Bank stabilization through re-vegetation

The planning and implementation of further remediation activities will continue in 2006.

Installation of filter layer	Pull back of 1m deep garbage layer from the river bank