The City of Chilliwack was hit with an $11,000 fine for failing to have an electric fence operational at the Bailey Landfill and having exposed waste with the potential of attracting bears.
The fine was a "moderate" administrative penalty issued May 24 by the Ministry of Environment and Climate Change Strategy (MOE) based on a contravention of the Environmental Management Act.
City of Chilliwack spokesperson Jamie Leggatt said for a short time in 2023, the electrified bear fence at the Bailey Landfill was turned off to facilitate a construction project for a landfill extension.
"Due to an oversight, the request for approval to de-energize the bear fence was not submitted to the Ministry of Environment and Climate Change Strategy. The site was closely monitored while the electric fence was de-energized and no bears or evidence of bear presence were observed in the active landfilling area that would typically be protected by the fence."
City officials received an advisory for similar issues in 2022.
The failure to have the fence operational in 2023 "led to exposed waste around the landfill cell area," which had the potential to attract wildlife or other vectors, the MOE report said. "In addition, City of Chilliwack failed to maintain and electrify their electric bear fence at all times. This has the potential to allow wildlife to come into contact with the solid waste or become a nuisance and threat to humans in the surrounding area."
The assessment by MOE for the fine was supported by the estimated 93 calls for service received by the Conservation Officer Service regarding bear activity in a 1.5 km radius of landfill between August 8, 2023, and November 23, 2023, but city officials countered with a report that in fact, "no bears" were seen in the active landfill area in that period.
It was during a Ministry inspection in 2023 that insufficient cover was observed on an area of the landfill.
"The landfill contractor remedied the deficiency immediately upon notification and will be responsible for paying the portion of the financial penalty associated with insufficient cover since it is a contractual obligation," Leggatt said.
The city carries out regular inspections of the site and has reviewed all fence management procedures to ensure future incidents of this kind will not re-occur.
The fine resulted from a contravention of EMA Section 25(b) (Authority to manage municipal solid waste and recyclable material in regional districts) for failure to comply with Operational Certificate 101798 Sections 3.6 (Waste Compaction and Covering) and 3.9 (Electric Fencing), according to MOE.
