Enterprise declares state of emergency over hazardous materials

The Hamlet of Enterprise has declared a state of local emergency to help with the cleanup from this summer’s wildfire.

A fast-moving wildfire tore through Enterprise on August 13, forcing residents to flee and destroying the majority of homes in the community.

In a notice posted to Facebook, the hamlet’s council stated it had declared the state of emergency on Friday as the community is now threatened by hazardous materials.

Blair Porter, the hamlet’s senior administrator, told Cabin Radio the state of emergency will allow the hamlet to clean up properties without having to secure permission from the owners.

Porter said staff have received permission for most properties but, in some cases, the owner was unclear or could not be reached.

“It needs to be dealt with,” Porter said of hazardous material in the community, giving examples such as asbestos, contaminated soil from fuel spills and potential heavy metal contamination.

Enterprise’s mayor, Michael St Amour, said spills had also occurred when some heating fuel and propane tanks were moved.

“It’s been since August that these tanks have been sitting here and nobody’s touched them,” he said. “And now they’ve touched them, but some of them are still full of fuel and there’s a few spills.”

The territory’s spill report page does not list any spills in Enterprise since August 13 the day the wildfire hit the community. On that day, spills of either fuel oil or “mixed load” were reported on 19 lots in the hamlet.

Jay Boast, a spokesperson for the territory’s Department of Municipal and Community Affairs, told Cabin Radio there is evidence of fuel tanks being compromised by the fire.

Boast said the department is also aware of one minor fuel spill during cleanup, resulting from “issues encountered due to a compromised tank.” He said all affected snow and soil was immediately collected and contained for disposal.

Under the territory’s Emergency Management Act, local authorities have expanded powers during a local state of emergency to respond to and recover from the effects of an emergency. That includes the ability to use private property or remove vegetation, structures and equipment.

A local state of emergency will automatically expire after seven days unless renewed.

Maca is leading the cleanup in Enterprise and footing the bill.

Porter said the cleanup started “in earnest” around the beginning of November. He said the hamlet’s role has included providing a temporary site for hazardous materials that can’t go in the landfill, offering up office space, and declaring the state of local emergency.

“We are providing logistical support,” he said. “When it comes to the actual cleanup of the lots, we’re just mainly observers and just making sure things are safe.”

Mayor St Amour said he’s “not very happy with the way things are going” and described being “kind-of disgusted.”

He said he believes contractors don’t have scientific data regarding what is contaminated. He added that while a house was delivered to the community from an insurance company in October, that has been put on hold due to the cleanup.

“I have a feeling they don’t want us to be here,” he said. “That’s just the way I feel, is that we’re left out of the loop and we’re not here.”

According to Boast, a company named Colliers Project Leaders has been hired to manage the environmental cleanup and removal of debris in Enterprise. He said the company is working with subcontractors to clean up hazardous materials such as asbestos, heavy metals, concrete, trees, construction debris and ash.

Boast said ash samples for around 10 percent of affected properties in the community have been collected and analyzed. Results show metal and petroleum levels exceed territorial guidelines for disposal at Enterprise’s landfill.

The exact cost of the cleanup will not be known, Boast said, until a landfill outside the territory that can accept the waste has been identified and transportation costs are determined.

The target date for the initial cleanup of contaminated materials in Enterprise is the end of December, Boast said. Cleanup and transportation of other materials and final grading of sites is expected to take place in the spring.

“Maca continues to work with the hamlet as recovery activities progress, and has been conducting site visits and meeting with impacted residents and businesses,” Boast said.