Locals concerned about illegal dumping on farm land in Fraser Valley [Video]

Some residents of a farming community in British Columbia’s Fraser Valley are worried about the environmental impacts of illegal dumping from construction sites on agricultural lands in the area.

In B.C., it’s against the law to dump construction material on land that’s reserved for farming without authorization. Both the rocky, low-quality dirt that’s excavated from construction sites and any building materials from a demolition site must be taken to an authorized facility. 

But some of the residents of Hatzic Valley, an approximately 1,300-person community about 50 kilometres east of Vancouver, say waste is being illegally dumped near their homes. 

A community group and local government officials allege companies that remove construction materials are skirting landfill costs by dropping waste on farms, where it could potentially contaminate the land. 

At the same time, B.C.’s Agricultural Land Commission (ALC), the province’s tribunal regulating agricultural land usage, says despite issuing thousands of dollars …