A DCC team in Esquimalt is working closely with the Department of National Defence (DND) to reduce costs—and help the environment—by getting smart about soil management.
Testing, hauling, disposing and buying soil is expensive, and a growing cost for the Client-Partners. On 10 projects at CFB Esquimalt in 2023–24, soil management accounted for a rough average of 17% of total costs.
“And that figure is likely to grow with new provincial regulations for relocating soil coming into effect,” explains Susan Low, Coordinator, Environmental Services.
This is where the beneficial reuse of soil comes into play.
At a CFB Esquimalt property, work on a water distribution system resulted in excess soil. Meanwhile, a remediation project elsewhere needs new soil.
The excess was tested to ensure it met DND requirements. Then, the remediation project team had to accept the soil as meeting federal, provincial and DND requirements and as suiting its intended purpose.
Next, the contractor on the water distribution project stockpiled the soil, with DND taking responsibility for maintaining the stockpile during the gap between the two projects (six months or more). To avoid having to test the soil again and ensure future project team members know the soil’s provenance, each pile was clearly labelled.
The savings totalled $227,000 in reduced trucking and disposal fees and because no new soil is needed. Reusing the soil reduces greenhouse gas emissions from hauling and demand on the local soil disposal facilities.
“Reusing soil to reduce costs takes time and effort, but is worth it,” says Low with satisfaction.