The Whistler landfill opened in 1977 and accepted industrial, commercial and institutional waste. In 1988, additional permitting was received to accept construction and demolition waste. The landfill site was closed in October 2005, primarily for accommodating plans to use the area east of the site as the location of the Athletes’ Village for the 2010 Winter Olympic Games. Construction of residential and commercial buildings in the area commenced in 2007 following the installation of a cover system and landfill gas (LFG) collection system in 2006.

Monitoring Program Objectives

The overall objective of the Whistler landfill monitoring program is to monitor post-closure impacts of landfill gas and leachate on the surrounding environment. The objectives of the Surface Water, Groundwater and Landfill Gas Monitoring Program are to:

• Allow improved characterization of groundwater and surface water;
• Determine if the landfill is negatively affecting local groundwater and surface water quality; and
• Apply corrective measures as necessary to minimize landfill effects on groundwater and surface water.

The objectives of the landfill gas (LFG) monitoring program are as follows:

• Monitor levels of gas migration offsite;
• Assess the overall collection performance of the Landfill Gas Collection System (LFGCS) and identify the presence of potentially unsafe concentrations of LFG within the soil at monitoring probe locations; and
• Adjust the landfill gas collection system as necessary based on monitoring data results, to minimize gas migration.

The reports below address the reporting requirements under the landfill operating permit issued by the province of BC.