Soil

The Soil Management Program includes soil testing and, in qualifying yards, management (improvements to ground cover or replacement of soil) on a prioritized basis. 

Given the large number of households in THEP’s Soil Management Area, assessments are prioritized based on the presence of children under 12 within areas that are known to have the highest levels of lead in the soil, such as those neighbourhoods closest to the smelter.

This program has been in place since 2007 and was expanded in 2019. The program is implemented by the Trail Area Health & Environment Program (THEP) through funding from Teck. Teck is the responsible party for annual soil management plans under the direction of the B.C. Ministry of Environment and Climate Change as per the Contaminated Sites Regulation of the Environmental Management Act.

A soil management plan is necessary because metallurgical facilities have been operating in Trail for well over a century. Historical aerial emissions from these facilities have resulted in the addition of metals, including lead, into the soil in the surrounding area. As a result, soil in the Environmental Management Area around Trail is likely to have metals above natural background levels and regulatory standards.

Teck is the responsible party for the Soil Management Plan under the direction of the B.C. Ministry of Environment and Climate Change Strategy as per the Contaminated Sites Regulation of the Environmental Management Act.

Teck is working with the B.C. Ministry of Environment and Climate Change Strategy to develop and seek approval for a long-term soil management plan called a Wide Area Remediation Plan. Once that plan is drafted, a full public consultation will take place prior to approval and implementation. Annual soil management plans are an interim step focused on highest risk properties.

The Wide Area Remediation Plan will continue to build on the work to address historical soil impacts in Trail and the surrounding area.
In recent years, major improvements have been made to lower metal emissions from Teck Trail Operations, resulting in improved air quality. This means that Teck is not adding as many metals, such as lead, into the soil and can now focus more on addressing the historical impacts to soil from past emissions.

Measures to manage exposure to lead and other metals in the soil may include improvements to ground cover, such as planting grass, or the replacement of soil in qualifying yards and gardens.

Soil testing is the first step. Everyone in the Environmental Management Area can sign up for free soil testing online. 

Soil assessment and testing is when soil samples from yards are collected and analyzed for metals. Results from THEP soil testing indicate the amount of lead and other metals in the soil in parts per million (ppm) or milligrams per kilogram (mg/kg), which are equivalent measurements.

Properties in Trail, Casino, Oasis, Rivervale, Warfield, Waneta, Montrose, south Castlegar, areas of RDKB Area A and B, areas of RDCK Area J and the edges of Rossland are in THEP’s Soil Management Area. View the map. 

Properties within the THEP Soil Management Area may contain elevated soil metals concentrations due to historical aerial emissions from the Trail smelter. Free soil testing is available to help you understand your metals levels, which is helpful information if you plan on disturbing soil, growing vegetables, or have young children frequent the property.

Everyone in THEP’s Soil Management Area is eligible for soil testing. See the map. Sign up online.

Soil testing is free. Next steps are dependent on each specific situation. For most cases, there are no costs to the homeowner. For disposal of soil, THEP ensures incremental costs are not borne by homeowners.  

Teck is working with the B.C. Ministry of Environment and Climate Change Strategy to develop and seek approval for a long-term soil management plan called a Wide Area Remediation Plan, which will over time address all properties within THEP’s Soil Management Area. Some properties will require no action. 

A Wide Area Remediation Plan (WARP) is defined in the B.C. Contaminated Sites Regulation as “a remediation plan for an environmental management area for one or more specific substances which have originated from one or more sources specified in the plan”.

Teck is working with the B.C. Ministry of Environment and Climate Change Strategy on a WARP to address soil impacts from historical aerial smelter emissions.

An approved WARP for the Trail area will formally establish criteria and targets for soil management and monitoring of human and ecological health.