The proposed site of the Outdoor Education Centre is on the site of the decommissioned Town of Lac du Bonnet Waste disposal grounds. A decommissioned waste disposal site will undergo reclamation to repurpose it into a recreational area and education centre. Approval for reclamation of the decommissioned waste disposal site has been given by the Environment Branch of Manitoba Sustainable Development and is subject to various Manitoba Regulations.
As part of the Crown Land permit application process, our proposal was reviewed by no less than 30 government departments, branches, and Crown corporations. These included Sustainable Development, Wildlife and Fisheries, Manitoba Environment, Habitat Mitigation & Wildlife Land Specialist, Drainage and Water Licensing, and Manitoba Agriculture to name a few. No concerns or adverse effects were identified to the environment, wildlife, livestock, land, or water supply in the area.
Testing done by J.R. Consulting Ltd in the decommissioning of the waste disposal site found high levels of ammonia, arsenic, cadmium, chloride, conductivity, hardness, magnesium, nitrate, potassium, sodium, and turbidity in some groundwater. This was deemed to not necessarily be a problem as there were no domestic wells within the immediate vicinity. In addition, while the area of the decommissioned waste disposal site is not classified as a “groundwater pollution hazard” area it is virtually surrounded by hazard areas.
With that said, the Lac du Bonnet Wildlife Association is well aware of the harmful effects of pollution and lead on the environment. As good stewards of the environment, our members and the general public have the expectation that we will take steps to mitigate the effect on this area. Best Management Practices are being examined to develop an environmental stewardship plan. Many effects can be reduced or eliminated by range design, lead mining from backstops, reducing shot patterns, controlling run-off, controlling the PH levels of soil, and the planting of vegetation to name a few.