City staff are recommending council approve a gravel quarry for Mt. Sima Road, attaching with it a dozen conditions.

The recommendation came forward at the June 1 council meeting following a public input session on the conditional use application from Greg Peterson Contracting and Deadman Enterprises, which would use the site.

No one spoke at the meeting and the city didn't get any correspondence on the matter either.

"In 2006, when approving the conditional use application for a gravel quarry at the same location, council requested that the conditional quarry use for this area expire with the Yukon Territory Government Land Use Permit," a staff report to council stated.

Along with the conditional use sought from the city, the applicants have applied to the territory, to use the site for three years.

"If council approves the conditional use application, Yukon Energy, Mines and Resources branch will continue with their permit process and the applicants will assume the reclamation responsibilities of the site," it's noted.

If it's not approved, the previous quarry users would have to do any remediation.

The proposed conditions include:

• excavation be done according to the Yukon Environmental Socio-economic Assessment Act document;

• a three-year time limit on excavation;

• the conditional use of the quarry being terminated when the excavation is complete;

• responsibility for any damage to existing Whitehorse roads from gravel being hauled from the site;

• road repair, as directed by the city engineer, if there is damage from the hauls;

• applicants cleaning the roads where there is mud, gravel or material dropped;

• placing appropriate construction signs on the gravel haul road;

• not allowing petroleum products to spread to surrounding sites;

• having a contingency plan in place for spills so there is a timely response and clean-up of any spill or leaks of harmful substances;

• stabilizing all areas disturbed during the quarry's operation to prevent long-term soil erosion, slumping and subsidence at the end of each season;

• saving the vegetation mat and layer of organic soil from the excavation area in a suitable way to be used during site reclamation; and

• remediating the site to the satisfaction of the development officer.

Council will vote on the conditional use application at next week's meeting.