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Soil contamination and land reclamation
Sadly, Indigenous communities have been exposed to hydrocarbon, chemical, PFAS, and other pollutant contamination for generations.
Diesel fuel power generation and related hydrocarbon spills have contributed significantly to soil, land, and groundwater contamination, particularly in remote communities. Leaks from fuel storage tanks, generator systems, and transport vehicles often go undetected for extended periods, allowing diesel and other petroleum products to seep into the ground and contaminate groundwater.
These contaminants can persist for decades, binding to soil particles and infiltrating aquifers, making remediation both technically challenging and costly. Historical industrial activities, including improper waste disposal and lack of environmental safeguards, have left behind a legacy of soil and groundwater contamination that continues to threaten drinking water, human health, fish populations, traditional hunting grounds, and the natural ecosystem.
On Indigenous lands, containment failures from past mining, forestry, oil and gas pipeline, power generation, and transportation operations have compounded these environmental issues. Many of these activities occurred without proper consultation or oversight, resulting in inadequate infrastructure to prevent spills and leaks. Tailings ponds, fuel depots, and chemical storage areas were often poorly designed or abandoned, leading to widespread contamination of culturally and ecologically significant lands. The lack of long-term monitoring and remediation commitments has left many communities facing ongoing exposure to toxic substances, with limited access to resources for cleanup or restoration.
The enduring presence of hydrocarbons, industrial chemicals, PFAS (or, “Forever Chemicals”), and other contaminants on Indigenous lands represents a deep environmental injustice. These pollutants, some of which are highly persistent and bio accumulative, have infiltrated soil, water, and food sources, posing serious risks to health, traditional practices, and biodiversity.
Despite increasing recognition of all of these contamination issues, remediation efforts have been slow and fragmented, often hindered by jurisdictional complexities and underfunding. Addressing this legacy requires not only technical solutions but also meaningful collaboration with Indigenous communities to restore land, uphold treaty rights, and ensure environmental stewardship for future generations.
BioNorth's Indigenous peoples' contaminated land solution
Addressing ongoing soil and groundwater contamination requires a collaborative approach involving Indigenous leadership, members, Indigenous services, industry, and remediation companies.
Unfortunately, conventional remediation solutions are costly, can have negative impacts on the environment, can permanently damage or destroy buildings and other critical infrastructure, and can potentially disrupt traditional land and gathering places.
Fortunately, BioNorth has a track record of providing cost-effective Indigenous-based bioremediation and bioaugmentation solutions that can be tailored to the hydrocarbon, chemical, and toxic contaminants that are found in Indigenous communities. We have a successful track record of on-site remediation, preventative maintenance, and emergency response for spills. We also have bioremediation and bioaugmentation solutions that are tailored to specific industries that operate on Indigenous land, such as mining, forestry, oil & gas, pipelines, utilities, and transportation.
