DAWSON CREEK, B.C. — The Peace River Regional District recently increased its contract with Tetra Tech to allow the company to conduct a geotechnical investigation of soils below the proposed Bessborough Landfill.
The original two-year contract—worth just over $112,488—was awarded to Tetra Tech on May 4th and requires the company to design and tender the landfill in 2023 and oversee construction in 2024.
The board increased the contract to $162,488.90 at its meeting on August 17th. This increase puts the project about $21,240 over the $60,000 allocated in the 2023 budget.
Still, the district said its current capital budget envelope for awarded contracts could handle the additional expense, with about $3,968 to spare.
According to a report from the district’s August 17th meeting, while Tetra Tech was compiling geotechnical background information for the landfill, it became aware the data available on the site didn’t meet the 2016 landfill criteria for municipal waste.
The report said to meet those requirements, a geotechnical investigation is needed to evaluate the soil under the proposed landfill.
In the report, Gerritt Lacey, solid waste services manager with the PRRD, said the cost of the investigation is $50,000, adding that it will supply the necessary soil information for both phases, 4A and 4B. Phase 4B is the construction phase and is anticipated to begin in about five years.
Lacey said if the soils don’t meet the 2016 criteria, clay will be brought to the site during the construction phase.
If the soils meet the criteria, they can be used to construct the landfill’s cell liner.
According to B.C.’s Ministry of Environment, a landfill cell is a “portion of compacted municipal solid waste enclosed by cover after a designated period.”
In his report, Lacey said the investigation findings would be included in design and tender documents created this year for the cell’s construction, which is anticipated to begin in 2024.
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