Soil dumping to resume at Shawnigan Lake, B.C., following court ruling

VICTORIA – A B.C. Court of Appeal ruling has cleared the way for soil dumping to continue at a Vancouver Island contaminated soil facility.

The decision overturns a B.C. Supreme Court ruling that previously gave the Cowichan Valley Regional District the authority to prohibit soil dumping under their local bylaws.

The new decision was welcomed by the Cobble Hill Holdings, which owns the facility near Shawnigan Lake.

Its lawyer John Alexander says the ruling sets a precedent across the province by putting mining-related activity squarely under provincial jurisdiction.

Alexander says the mining industry as a whole will be relieved that it will not have to adapt to local regulations in different districts across the province.

The Shawnigan Lake soil facility is categorized as a mining activity because the operation involves filling an old quarry. (CFAX)