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If you’ve driven on Highway 3 near the Jackfish power plant recently, you may have noticed an unpleasant aroma coming from Yellowknife’s dump.
One resident, writing anonymously to Cabin Radio, described it as “a strong, pungent smell of garbage.”
Abby Schelew, a spokesperson for the city, said the likely cause is “a subsurface hotspot” that has developed in a section of the construction and demolition landfill at the solid waste facility.
“There is a spot a few feet below the surface that is hotter than normal,” she explained by email.
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“This type of event is not uncommon at landfills. The heat has caused minor cracks within the soil covering the waste mass, which in turn allows steam and odor to be released.”
No precise cause of the hotspot was given.
Heavy equipment could be seen working in that section of the dump on Tuesday morning, with what appeared to be steam emerging from the area. The city confirmed the photo Cabin Radio took depicted workers excavating the perimeter of the hotspot.
Schelew said city staff and an unnamed contractor are “working to address the issue.”
She said no further information would be made available at this time.
