• The soil management program includes soil testing and, in qualifying yards, replacement of soil or improvements to ground cover on a prioritized basis.
• Given the large number of households in these areas, 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 operation.
• This program has been in place since 2007 and was expanded in 2019.
• The program is overseen by the Trail Area Health and Environment Committee, a sub-committee of the City of Trail, with government, community and industry members.
• Teck is the responsible party for annual Soil Management Plans under the direction of the BC Ministry of Environment and Climate Change as per the Contaminated Sites Regulation of the Environmental Management Act.

• Metallurgical facilities have been operating in Trail for well over a century. Historical 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 Trail area 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 BC Ministry of Environment and Climate Change Strategy as per the Contaminated Sites Regulation of the Environmental Management Act.
• Teck is working with the 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 we have been doing 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. We 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 the replacement of soil in yards and/or gardens in qualifying yards. In other cases, improvements to ground cover, such as planting grass, may be made as an interim measure.
• Soil testing is the first step. Our programs are voluntary so it is your choice if you would like your soil to be tested.

People have been growing vegetables in Trail for more than a century. Home grown fruit and vegetables offer many benefits to your family, and especially young children. A study conducted in 2019-2020 shows that even at low levels, metals in soil and dust may end up in vegetables grown in Trail.

There are many things you can do to minimize the potential exposure to metals from home grown fruit and vegetables. 

• Always wash fruits and vegetables before eating them. 

• Choose what you grow: 
  • The fruit parts of plants (e.g. tomatoes, cucumbers, berries, beans, etc.) have shown they absorb the lowest amount of metals. 
  • Leafy greens have the highest level of metals. Washing them gets rid of some, but not all of it.
  • Peel root vegetables before eating.

• Amend your soil to help reduce metal uptake. This may include keeping your pH close to neutral, adding organic matter and considering phosphate fertilizer.

For more information or to request soil testing in your garden, contact the Community Program Office: programs@thep.ca. 

• Soil testing is offered to all interested households with priority in areas that are known to have the highest lead levels in the soil, such as those closest to the operation. Priority is also given to households that have children under 12.
• Following soil testing, three criteria are used to determine priorities for soil management: the presence of children under 12 years of age, the presence of ground cover, and lead levels in soil.

In the annual Soil Management Plans, priority will be given to properties where children under 12 live, or visit regularly. This would include where children are present two or more days each week for periods of three hours or more, or a total of 60 hours or more each year.

• Annual Soil Management Plans are interim plans, conducted under the direction of the BC Ministry of Environment and Climate Change as per the Contaminated Sites Regulation of the Environmental Management Act.
• Teck is working with the BC Ministry of Environment and Climate 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.
• The Wide Area Remediation Plan will continue to build on the work we have been doing to address historical soil impacts in Trail and the surrounding area.

• The Ministry of Environment and Climate Change Strategy has defined an area for a future Wide Area Remediation Plan called the Teck, Trail Environmental Management Area (EMA). An EMA is a specific area that contains specified contaminants from one specific source, covers a larger geographic area and parcels within the site would likely be contaminated with one or more of the specified contaminants. For more information, please see the Ministry of Environment and Climate Change Fact Sheet on Wide Area Sites.
• The EMA is being used as the subject area for the annual Soil Management Plans and includes Trail, Rivervale, Warfield, Montrose, south Castlegar, areas of RDKB Area A and B, areas of RDCK Area J and the edges of Rossland.
• As would be expected, metal levels in soil are higher closer to the operation, and decline to near natural background concentrations toward periphery areas. As such, properties in those periphery areas may require no action.
• Given the large number of properties in the area, our immediate focus will continue to be on those properties that are expected to have higher levels of metals in the soil, such as those nearest the smelter.

• Soil assessment and prioritized soil management also applies to playgrounds, daycares and schools.
• Generally speaking, ground cover is very good in parks and playgrounds. If you notice poor ground cover at parks or playgrounds please contact the City of Trail and/or the THEP Community Program Office.
• Parks and playgrounds in the wider Trail area are included in the soil assessment testing, and this data is used to identify any work required.

• The prioritization of children under 12 allows us to focus on the age group that is the most likely to be exposed to metals in soil. Older children in this age group have a higher tolerance to exposure, while younger children under 6 years of age have lower tolerance to exposure. Our prioritization approach reflects these tolerance levels.
• It is important to note that our soil management program is just one aspect of the Trail Area Health and Environment Program. Other existing components of the program will continue, including Healthy Homes and Family Health, focusing on families with children up to 3 years old, and Lead Safe Renovation for do-it-yourself renovators.

• Expansion began in 2019 and close to 300 properties had their soil tested and 550 had their ground cover evaluated.
• In 2019, 102 properties received work including 11 properties receiving yard improvements and 91 yards were fully remediated (compared to 58 properties in 2018).
• In 2020, a similar number of properties will receive work as compared to 2019.

• There is no cost to the landowner for this work to be undertaken. All soil assessment and improvement work is coordinated and paid for by the Trail Area Health and Environment Program, through funding provided by Teck.
• The program is overseen by the Trail Area Health and Environment Committee, a sub-committee of the City of Trail, with government, community and industry members.
• Teck is the responsible party for the Soil Management Program under the direction of the BC Ministry of Environment and Climate Change as per the Contaminated Sites Regulation of the Environmental Management Act.
• Teck Metals has invested approximately $5 million toward the soil management program this year alone as part of its continued commitment to healthy homes and gardens in the Trail area.
• It is expected that these programs will continue for many years to come.

• Sign up online to have your soil tested.
• If you have a vegetable garden, you can also sign up online. Vegetable gardens remain within our priority focus soil testing and remediation.