Inuvik council approves lower dump fees for contractor working on remediation project

Inuvik town council has approved a discount dump fee rate at the town landfill for a local subcontractor working on an out-of-town Imperial Oil remediation project.

The four-to-three vote took place at a special meeting Monday, where town council approved both a bylaw amendment giving the town the authority to grant a fee reduction, and the fee reduction itself — from $1,000 per load to $500.

EGT Northwind Ltd. plans to bring over 250 loads of steel from an Imperial Oil remediation site in Tuktoyaktuk, N.W.T., to the landfill in Inuvik. EGT Northwind was asking for the 50 per cent reduction in dumping fees for the out-of-town material.

According to Fred Bailey, vice president of Northwind Industries, the discount will be partially offset by additional work the company will do at the landfill. Bailey also said was the company was under tight budget constraints on the project.

Imperial Oil, which is owned by Exxon Mobil, has a cleanup project underway in Tuktoyaktuk. Imperial contracted Golder Associates Ltd., who then subcontracted EGT Northwind, for the work.

Before council voted on approving the request, it first had to vote on amending the existing dumping fees bylaw to allow council to approve one-time discounts.

Council members voted in favour of the amendment 5-2. Coun. Kurt Wainman, who owns Northwind Industries, recused himself in a declared conflict of interest.

Local contractor looses out

When Mayor Natasha Kulikowski read out the motion in council to discount EGT Northwind on its dump fees, it included a detail that was later removed.

Normally the town and the landfill operator/contractor share the dumping fees evenly. But the motion Kulikowski read out stated that $350 per load would go to the landfill facility operator, and $150 would go to the town. 

"I don't understand why we're paying an additional $100 to the contractor at the landfill who has an existing contract with the town for 50/50," said Coun. Paul MacDonald, who had voted against the initial dumping fee bylaw amendment. 

Jesse Harder, the landfill contractor, offered some clarification. He said he rejected the idea of reduced fees in November as unfair.

"It's my job to do the capping [covering of landfill material]. I didn't see it being fair. Why would we take such a small amount?" Harder asked.

Harder said that in a previous discussion with the town's Senior Administrative Officer Grant Hood, he was told the town would increase his share of the $500 fee to $350, instead of giving him an even split.

Harder said that arrangement would have recognized that he works for a flat fee per load, and does not share the 10 per cent charge the town will collect on the project over and above the dump fees.

Hood was not at the council meeting. He later confirmed Harder's account to CBC, but said no formal agreement was in place.

The motion was amended to reflect the usual 50/50 split between the contractor and the town.

Coun. Alana Mero, who had voted against the dumping fees bylaw amendment, felt council was rushing the decision. She requested a motion to defer the vote until next week.

"I think we have way too much left out … that's not defined and it's going to put this council in a very vulnerable spot," Mero said. Councillors Ray Solotki and McDonald supported Mero, but the four remaining councillors voted against deferring.

The amended motion was then approved with councillors Gary McBride, Clarence Wood, Dez Loreen and Steve Baryluk voting in favour of granting reduced fees to EGT Northwind, along with an even split on those fees between the landfill contractor and the town.