Limited and isolated areas of environmental contamination have been found at the old Kelowna mill site, the property owner says.
Tolko Industries has now submitted the detailed environmental site investigation required by the Ministry of Environment and Climate Change Strategy.
“These are typical results that one would expect for this type of site, which is large and complex with a long history of industrial activity,” Tolko said in a Wednesday release.
The company says it is committed to cleaning up the 40-acre site in the downtown north end, which is expected to eventually be redeveloped with high-rises and commercial premises. Tolko is a privately owned company under the direction of the Thorlakson family of Vernon.
In operation for more than 80 years before it shut down in early 2020, about 180 millworkers lost their jobs at the time of the plant’s closure. The Thorlaksons blamed market conditions, the cost of logs, and the effect of government policies.
A detailed investigation into the environmental condition of the site, conducted by a third-party, had originally been due by February.
In the Wednesday release, the company says hydrocarbon contamination consistent with lubricating oil was found at a test hole about 150 meters from Okanagan Lake.
“This substance was found to be limited to the area around two adjacent test holes,” the release states. Remediation work on these areas will be done soon by a third-party environmental professional, Tolko says.
“The report confirms that there are also a small number of isolated areas that exceed the applicable concentration standards for other contaminants,” the release says. “They are primarily hydrocarbon in nature, do not pose a risk to the surrounding environment, and will be further reviewed and addressed when the future use of the site is determined.”
