The Yukon government will finally have an inspector at the Teslin River Bridge on Tuesday after receiving a letter from the Teslin Tlingit Council (TTC) about the repair work to the bridge, says cabinet spokesman Peter Carr.

The government received the letter from the first nation Thursday. It notes the Canadian Environmental Assessment Agency (CEAA) screening report specified a YTG inspector be on site to 'ensure the environmental terms and conditions of the contract are upheld.'

The inspector is required to report any accident or potential problems to regulatory agencies.

The first nation noted officials haven't seen an officer on site since the project started earlier this spring.

In an interview this morning, Eric Fairclough, the NDP's highways and public works critic, said the government should have had an inspector there since work began.

'They need to do it immediately,' he said.

Carr noted the contractor, Ketza Construction Corp. of Whitehorse, has been directed by Highways and Public Works officials to ensure debris from the repair work isn't falling into the Teslin River, as the letter alleges.

The letter notes that on May 13, when TTC environmental officer trainee Gus Morberg was investigating reports of debris in the river from the bridge work, he noticed drill bit pieces dropping from the bridge into the river. He also noted metal bucket lids lying on the river bottom and drill bit pieces on the riverbank.

In an interview this morning though, Ketza general manager Mike Johnson said the company is using a closed-in type of floor the employees work from to catch the pieces of material.

The work involves taking out rivets and replacing those with bolts.

'They fly,' he explained.

Johnson acknowledged the floor doesn't catch 100 per cent of the debris.

'But we're getting the lion's share,' he said.

Workers gather the excess pieces which fall to the floor and take them to the nearby Johnson's Crossing landfill, he said.

If the company was ordered to install some sort of tarpaulins or another containment device for the debris, it could slow the project down, Johnson explained.

As the project moves along, the equipment has to be reinstalled along the bridge.

'It'd be one more thing to do,' he said.

Just how much extra time it would take would depend on what type of containment device it was ordered to install.

The first nation is also concerned about the impact the material can have on the water. Some drinking water in the area comes directly from the river, the letter explains.

'This breach of the permit conditions not only affects the fish populations but also could have potential long-term cumulative effects detrimental to the well-being of the residents of Johnson's Crossing, including the travelling public who frequent the lodge, as everyone within a five-mile radius gets their water directly from the Teslin River, on the downside of the bridge,' reads the letter signed by elder Sam Johnston for Eric Morris, the TTC's chief executive officer.

Fairclough said the situation is 'embarrassing' at a time when tourists are travelling on the highway and can see what's not being done.

He also questions what message it sends to local residents about recycling.

Fairclough said he's disappointed it took so long for the government to react to complaints it began hearing earlier this month.

The letter notes the latest complaint was forwarded to the government's environmental monitoring and inspections section manager, Bryan Levia; the Teslin district conservation officer, David Bakica; and the Department of Energy, Mines and Resources' natural resource officer, Stephen Locke.

'We have not received a response on our concerns, other than from David Bakica, who felt that the only concern from his standpoint would be the lead paint chips falling into the river,' reads the letter.

'However, we understood these issues could be dealt with through the Fisheries Act under section 35(1) and 36(1a), as we see this as a deleterious substance, which could result in the harmful alteration, disruption or destruction of fish habitat as there are major salmon spawning beds below the bridge.'

The first nation then forwarded the initial complaint to the federal Department of Fisheries and Oceans (DFO).

The latest letter also notes that when the TTC's land manager received a complaint about a machine working in the area last week, it was reported to the conservation officer. The next morning, DFO and the conservation officer came out to investigate.

When the land manager learned the officials were on the first nation's land, he informed them there were protocols in place that the first nation should be informed before they cross land claim settlement terrain to investigate a complaint.

'In light of these events, it appears to us that our concerns are not being taken as seriously as a call from your government's field officers,' reads the letter. 'We need not remind you that as a self-governing body, we would like to be treated as such and would insist that our concerns and issues be taken seriously.'

Carr said this morning the matter is being investigated by Highways and Public Works officials.

'They are taking them seriously,' he said.

TTC officials did not return phone calls regarding the letter by press time this afternoon.