A Whitehorse resident is concerned about potentially contaminated soil on his neighbour’s property.

Sharhram Kazemi owns a vacant lot on Lodgepole Lane off the Alaska Highway in Porter Creek where he plans to build a few houses.

But he says oil from his neighbour’s property is leaking into the creek and may be contaminating his property. The area is across from the Alaska Highway-Centennial Street intersection.

Kazemi says every spring since 2008, he has noticed black runoff from the soil and that this year there was oil leaking from a barrel.

But while he has repeatedly contacted the city about the issue, he feels officials have done nothing to stop it.

“The city, they really don’t care,” Kazemi told the Star Wednesday.

“They said, ‘we’re continuing to deal with the owner of the property.’

“They’ve been dealing with it for nine years.”

Whitehorse bylaw supervisor Tom Wyers said over the years, the city has charged the property owner under the maintenance bylaw for the accumulation of items on the property.

“He has been going to court and he has been receiving fines, and we continue to move forward with enforcement and fines,” he said.

But Kazemi said charges and fines aren’t solving the problem.

“To me, a charge is doing nothing; it doesn’t stop the oil from leaking,” he said.

“I want to totally stop the oil spill and cleanup the property.”

He is especially worried as six months ago, he obtained a permit to build a house, and is frustrated that the property next door is still not clean.

“How can I guarantee to the buyer the land is not contaminated?” he asked.

“I cannot wait anymore.”

He claimed his neighbour is aware the soil is contaminated – but needs help with the cleanup.

“He has so much to do, he doesn’t know what to do,” said Kazemi.

His neighbour has been working on cleaning the property for almost a decade, even before he owned the title to the land.

The accumulation of vehicles and other items came from a former property owner who permitted people to leave their junk on the land for more than 17 years.

Kazemi said he also contacted Environment Yukon with his concerns. Wyers noted that the territorial Environment department, rather than the city, addresses fuel spills.

Collin Remillard, a representative from Environment Yukon, said officials have received complaints about the property since 2008, including two from this month.

Last week, they responded by taking soil samples from the property, and Remillard said they’re waiting on the results to decide how to proceed.

But he was not able to comment on what the department had done regarding complaints in the past or what the possible outcomes of an investigation would be.

“It’s really hard for me to say what we can do without all the information right now,” he said.

“We’re being responsive, and we’re receiving these calls to safeguard the public’s health and the environment.”

He noted the department is happy that people are contacting the spill line maintained by the Yukon Emergency Measures Organization. And that the proper method of reporting hazardous spills is calling the line at 667-7244.

Kazemi said that since media reports earlier this month about the issue, he has received contact from about 200 Porter Creek residents concerned that the city hasn’t taken enough action.

The property owner could not be reached for comment before press time this afternoon.