A soil-dumping project on the 樱桃视频River training dike was brought to a grinding halt last week and this week the mayor is calling the incident was a mishap.
Lower Mainland dump truck operators were dumping fill from a North Shore excavation on site on March 31. The material was being dumped on the west side of the training dike and over the dike in an area local environment watcher Edith Tobe described as sensitive.
Tobe was alerted of the dumping by local heavy equipment contractor Rick Hunter.
The pair contacted District of 樱桃视频(DOS) staff members and a district employee ordered an end to the operation.
Mayor Ian Sutherland said on Wednesday (April 6) the practice of putting fill onto the side of the dike is something that traditionally happens for all kinds of good purposes.
"Last week it didn't work out and there was a mishap as far as where the fill ended up," Sutherland said. "It was simply a mistake."
Once the work was halted a DOS official called the Department of Fisheries and Oceans (DFO) to report the incident, Sutherland said.
Tobe said placing fill on the edge of the dike is completely unnecessary and serves no good purpose.
"It is a training dike and doesn't need the dirt," she said the day of the incident. She added that the annual mowing program for the southern end of the dike is also unnecessary.
It is Tobe's understanding one of the reasons for placing the fill was to create a mower-friendly surface because the rocks and debris along the edge of the dike is causing damage to the district's mowing machine.
Tobe is involved in rehabilitation work in the 樱桃视频Estuary and said DFO regulates this type of work and she believed this particular project was started without prior DFO approval.
Hunter noted the out of town trucks were operating without 樱桃视频business licenses.
Council voted on Tuesday (April 5) to ask staff to look into the issue and report back.
