Before any land is rezoned or designated for residential development on the 56-hectare former tank farm site, its owners are asking the city to change the Official Community Plan (OCP) so they can remove the contaminated soil.

The proposal was brought forward to council Monday night.

Urban planner Kari Dow of Golder Associates (contracted for the project) said the redevelopment's proponent – 46447 Yukon Inc., which owns the land between the Alaska Highway and Hamilton Boulevard (east to west) and Valleyview and Hillcrest (north to south) – want to remove the source of the soil contamination rather than take a risk management approach to the ground.

In some spots, the source of the contamination is more than 30 metres deep.

The change to the OCP would allow remediation work to begin and include digging up the soil.

As it was noted in a staff report to council, the land served as a petroleum storage facility between 1942 and 1996.

Petroleum hydrocarbon leaked from tanks, valves and pipelines into the ground over the years, leading to the contamination.

Remediation work to clean up the surface soil was done in 2001, but contamination has continued below the surface.

Last year, the land was designated as a contaminated site by Environment Yukon, Pat Ross, the city's land development supervisor, said in presenting the staff report to council.

As such, it's subject to the Yukon Contaminated Sites Regulations under the Environment Act. That gives the territory more control over the remediation of the site in the interests of health and environmental protection.

As Dow explained, the government has stated it would accept two types of remediation: a risk management approach or actually digging up the source of the contamination, which is the approach the owners want to take.

Given the depth of contamination, that means the eastern portion of the site would be brought down to the same level as the Alaska Highway, Dow informed council last night.

"There's definitely hot spots,” she said of the source contamination.

The area where the large storage facility was is definitely where the most contamination is, she noted.

Once the source of the contamination is removed, she said under questioning from council, the groundwater will clean itself.

It's expected remediation will begin next year and continue for two to five years.

The OCP amendment allowing for the temporary, or interim, work would be the first of two steps in the process to redevelop the area.

The second would see the designations for land use there changed to fit for the development of the site.

"This two-step process would allow the owner to begin the lengthy remediation process, which is the top priority,” Ross noted in his report to council.

First reading of the bylaw will come forward for a vote at next week's council meeting. That will be followed by a public hearing on the proposal at council's Sept. 10 meeting.

A report on the public hearing will follow a week later, with council then expected to vote on second reading at its Sept. 24 session.

The proposal will then go to the Yukon government – OCP changes require ministerial approval prior to third reading – before coming back to the city for third reading expected on Nov. 26.

"I think this is just a no-brainer,” Coun. Kirk Cameron said at last night's meeting, recalling he ran for his seat on council exactly to deal with issues like this.

He believes the city needs to deal with brownfields such as the tank farm.

It's society's responsibility to clean up such areas that have been contaminated from past use.

"I am absolutely behind this,” he said. "This is a perfect way to get where we want to be.”

Even if down the road no lots are developed by going ahead with the OCP amendment, the city would be helping to remove a risk.

Stating his agreement with Cameron's points, Coun. Ranj Pillai also suggested there should be incentives in place for those doing such cleanups.

He said he'd like the matter to be looked at by the city's planning department.

He also noted he's pleased to see the private sector taking on land development in the city though, like Coun. Dave Stockdale, he'd also like to see a discussion about all the development being planned for the city.

He noted that between the city's new subdivision of Whistle Bend and further plans for areas like Porter Creek D, First Nation residential developments and the tank farm – which is anticipated to see anywhere from 500 to 800 housing lots – there could be a glut of properties on the market.

Mayor Bev Buckway and Coun. Dave Austin were absent from last night's meeting.