Massive $2.1 million wall under construction at Campbell River dump

A crew from Jacob Brothers Construction works atop a retaining wall being built along Argonaut Road to expand the dump. The wall will allow the dump to accept waste for three more years while a new dump in Cumberland is being built.

image credit: Kristen Douglas/The Mirror

An imposing wall under construction at the Campbell River landfill will extend the life of the dump, according to the Comox Strathcona Waste Management Service.

The wall extends the dump outward towards Argonaut Road in order to keep it going for three more years, until a new dump in Cumberland is built.

Tom Boatman, the manager of the solid waste service which serves both the Strathcona and Comox Valley regional districts, said the wall in Campbell River is vital because the existing Comox Valley landfill is expected to run out of space before the new one opens in Cumberland as the regions only landfill.

This wall is buying us the time, Boatman said. We need this to ensure that when we run out of space in Cumberland, we have landfill space here. This wall is very important so we can continue to provide the space we need to dispose of waste.

The $2.1 million wall is expected to be complete in the next six to eight weeks and once complete will be 13 metres high. The wall will then be covered and the side of the wall that faces Argonaut Road will be planted with native plants to make it eye-catching. There will also be greenery planted along the top of the wall.

While the wall is intended to extend the life of the landfill, at the same time, the waste management service is also planning to close the Campbell River dump.

The entire shutdown is expected to cost $10 million and will be completed by 2018. It will involve covering the entire dump with polyethylene to seal off the landfill.

For the $10 million were complying with the ministry (of Environment) standards for operating, Boatman said. Its something we have to do.

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Massive $2.1 million wall under construction at Campbell River dump