'High-risk' search of Manitoba landfill for remains feasible, says forensic anthropologist who led study

WARNING: This story contains distressing details.

A forensic anthropologist who led a study on a proposed search of a Manitoba landfill for the remains of two First Nations women is confident it can be done, with precautions to protect searchers from risks such as exposure to toxic gases and asbestos. 

"The humanitarian recovery of two victims of homicide" is important "for the government to consider as a priority," Emily Holland, an associate professor of anthropology at Brandon University, told CBC in an interview.

"It's possible and feasible to search the landfill."

Holland co-chaired the technical subcommittee of a feasibility study that was commissioned by an Indigenous-led committee after police said they would not search the Prairie Green landfill site, north of Winnipeg, for the remains of Morgan Harris, 39, and Marcedes Myran, 26.

The study concluded a search is feasible but there would be no guarantee of finding the remains of the women, who Winnipeg police say are victims of an alleged serial killer.

"The method that's proposed in this feasibility study is one that the committee really thought hard and long on," Holland said. "We wanted to propose a method that we thought would have the highest probability of recovery."

Citing dangers to searchers highlighted in the feasibility report, Manitoba's Progressive Conservative government said last month it wouldn't support a search of the landfill.

The federal Liberal government funded the feasibility study but has made no firm commitment to pay for a search, which the report said could cost between $84 million and $184 million and take one to three years.

Family members of Harris and Myran say their loved ones shouldn't be left in a landfill.

"I would like them to go and dig," said Myran's grandmother Donna Bartlett, who sat on the technical subcommittee.

"Start digging and find the women. Find them and bring them home."

She says the report addresses how to deal with landfill hazards.

"It is dangerous … but there [are] are safety measures they can take."

Up to 60,000 tonnes of waste to excavate

According to the final report, which was made public by the Assembly of Manitoba Chiefs last week, it's believed the remains of both Harris and Myran were taken in the same dump truck to the privately operated Prairie Green landfill, in the rural municipality of Rosser, on May 16, 2022. 

Jeremy Skibicki is charged with first-degree murder in the deaths of Harris and Myran, as well as the deaths of Rebecca Contois, 24, and a fourth unidentified Indigenous woman, whom community members have named Mashkode Bizhiki'ikwe, or Buffalo Woman.

After police visited the landfill as part of their homicide investigation on June 20, 2022, Prairie Green stopped using two cells where the company believes the women's remains ended up and hasn't allowed dumping in that area since.

Forensic anthropologist confident landfill search can be done

1 year ago

Duration 2:32

A forensic anthropologist who led a proposal to search Prairie Green Landfill is confident it can be done with precautions to protect workers. Two First Nations women were murdered and ended up in the landfill more than a year ago, prompting calls for governments to find their remains. The province says it's too dangerous and the federal government has yet to commit. A landfill search would be risky but experts say it can be done safely.

The proposed search area is approximately 200 metres by 100 metres, with a maximum waste depth of 10 metres, the report says.

The proposed method calls to search the waste accumulated in the 34 days between May 16 and June 20, 2022, and as much as 60,000 tonnes of material may have to be excavated.

A person wearing personal protective equipment would be positioned near an excavator to watch for potential remains while the waste is removed in layers, the report says.

The material would be put in dump trucks and hauled to a search facility, which would have to be built at the landfill, where search technicians would further examine waste on conveyor belts.

Manitoba Premier Heather Stefanson has highlighted asbestos and other toxic chemicals as concerns. The study states all landfills emit methane and hydrogen sulfide.

"This isn't unique to the Prairie Green landfill," said Holland. "There are always going to be health and safety concerns, but landfills are well prepared to mitigate those."

Asbestos deposited in search area

Twelve tonnes of asbestos were deposited during the 34-day time period in question, but workers may encounter up to 712 tonnes of the fibrous material which had been deposited over a year, the report says. Asbestos was commonly used for fireproofing and insulation in homes and buildings, and for disposal it was placed in pre-excavated holes which have been covered with a minimum of two metres of soil or waste.

"This asbestos is deposited following provincial legislation," Holland said. "It's double-wrapped in bright yellow plastic on purpose, so that if you see it you can identify it right away."

It's possible some remains are close to the asbestos, which may mean the asbestos itself has to be excavated, meaning "an excavation and search could be a very high-risk endeavour," the study found.

Inhaling asbestos fibres can lead to heart disease and mesothelioma years after exposure.

However, Holland said searchers would wear hazmat suits and full face respirators, and the bags of the asbestos could be watered down to limit the dispersal of fibres.

Well-trained people in Manitoba remove asbestos from indoor spaces regularly, she said.

David Ganetsky, president of the Winnipeg asbestos abatement company EnviroDoctors, said the amount in Prairie Green landfill is "a lot" — and if a bag is punctured, the fibres would become airborne.

"This would be a very risky scenario to dig in this area with asbestos," he told CBC. 

But he agrees risks could be mitigated by wetting down the search area, removing the asbestos if it's found and making sure searchers have the right personal protective equipment.

"As long as they had the necessary training, took the necessary precautions, wore the right PPE, I think it absolutely can be done in a safe manner," Ganetsky said. 

His company removed two or three tonnes of asbestos from a 112,000-square-foot warehouse — a fraction of what's in the proposed search area.

The search area also contains animal remains that have been described as a thick sludge, but other dead animals or bones from food waste may also be present.

Forensic anthropologists are trained to tell the difference between animal and human bones, Holland said.

While she has never been part of a landfill search, she did work as a forensic search technician examining soil on a conveyor belt from convicted serial killer Robert Pickton's 14-acre pig farm.

She hopes solutions can be found to start a search at Prairie Green.

"If people are concerned about the budget, let's talk about the budget," said Holland. "If people are concerned about the health and safety risks, let's talk about that, too."

Read the landfill feasibility study: