Upper Tank Farm:

Designation of the Former Upper Tank Farm
and Nearby Properties as a Contaminated Site

Recent image of the Upper Tank Farm lands in Whitehorse		The tank farm was built to support the Whitehorse Canol refinery seen here under construction in 1943

Environment Yukon has formally designated the former Upper Tank Farm and nearby properties as a contaminated site. Soil and groundwater contaminated with petroleum hydrocarbons at lower depths are present on the property.

Designation gives the government greater oversight of remediation activities on the property so as to ensure the protection of human health and the environment.

The “Notice of Designation of the Former Upper Tank Farm and Nearby Properties as a Contaminated Site" document and map of the properties included in the “Notice of Designation” can be viewed below.

	Notice of Designation of the Former Upper Tank Farm and Nearby Properties as a Contaminated Site  1.5 MB
	Map: Upper Tank Farm Boundaries of Designated Contaminated Site  970 KB

Updated January 12, 2011

Designation Process

Environment Yukon formally designated the Former Upper Tank Farm site as a contaminated site on January 5, 2011. The department issued a “Notice of Intent to Designate the Former Upper Tank Farm and Nearby Properties as Contaminated Site” on August 26, 2010 in accordance with the Contaminated Sites Regulation (CSR) and Environment Act. A 30-day review period ran from September 3, 2010 to October 4, 2010. No comments were received during the review period.

When a site is designated, development can take place once contamination has been dealt with in accordance with a government-approved plan of restoration (a clean-up plan). The government issues a Certificate of Compliance once CSR standards are met.

Currently there are five designated contaminated sites in Yukon; two of these have been remediated and have received Certificates of Compliance.

Remediation

Remediation (treatment) of contaminated sites in Yukon is considered successful if the level of contaminants remaining in the soil and groundwater is below the standards set out in the CSR for the intended land use, or if a risk assessment demonstrates that the risks to humans and the environment are within established levels.

Remediation work on the former upper tank farm site began in the 1990s; much of the contamination has been cleaned up. However, there is still soil and groundwater contaminated with petroleum hydrocarbons at lower depths that has the potential to affect future property users or off-site receptors.