Ulukhaktok cleans up dump, shipping out 24 vehicles, 160 oil drums

An unsightly dump has plagued the hamlet of Ulukhaktok, N.W.T.,for years, but after a month of work and a grant from the territorial government, the hamlet is getting the landfill tidied up.

The hamlet is sending away 24 old vehicles and about 160 oil drums that have been accumulating at the dump for the last 20 years. The large items will be sent away on a barge to be disposed of properly and recycled.

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It's costly and difficult to properly dispose of these items, because the community is isolated, said its senior administrative officer, Susan Kaodloak.

To deal with the problem, the community received $27,000 in funding from the N.W.T. Department of Environment and Natural Resources' Waste Reduction and Recycling Initiative Fund.

Kaodloak said the community is also spending about $100,000 of its own money for this project.

We have to start worrying about what we're throwing out and what we're disposing of.- Susan Kaodloak, UlukhaktokSAO

The money is being used to removedrums of used oil, contaminated water, batteries, and end-of-life vehicles.

"Hopefully it makes people understand that we have to start worrying about what we're throwing out and what we're disposing of," said Kaodloak.

"Maybe it is time to really start thinking about recycling and reusing what we can, rather than just throwing anything to the dump.

"This is not something we can do every year."

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Over the last month, the community has been working to prepare the cars and old drums for shipment.

"It's a lot of work, a lot of weekend work and overtime," said Kaodloak.

They needed to make sure there was nothing leaking from the vehicles, so they drained all the liquids, including things like windshield washer fluid and gas. A representative from the Department of Municipal and Community Affairs went to Ulukhaktokto help prepare the items for shipping.

The dump is located about one kilometre outside of the community. "It's the first thing you see driving into the community, so it bothers us," said Kaodloak.

"It's really important to get these materials out of our landfills because some of them are hazardous," saidDiepDuong, manager of waste reduction and management with the Department of Environment and Natural Resources.

"We don't want them to be leaching into our waterways."

There will be about 10 vehicles left at the dump that won't make it onto the bargeKaodloaksaid there isn't enough room orenough money to send them.

The preparation for thedrums and cars is expected to be finished this week. Everything will be loaded onto the barge in September.

With files from Wanda McLeod