Remediation plan in the works for Sentinel Mountain mud slide
By Contributor
The Regional District of Central Kootenay (RDCK) is awaiting results from a site tour and evaluation that geotechnical engineers have completed of the Sentinel Mountain mud slide. That information will help determine a timeline for remediation work on the area, and help the RDCK identify when the evacuated property owners can safely return home.
“We have been working with experts brought in by the Ministry of Forests, Lands, Natural Resource Operations to evaluate ground stability at the source of the slide and to see if there is the potential for future events,” said Andrew Bellerby, Emergency Operations Centre (EOC) Director. “Our goal is to bring the owners of the evacuated property home as soon as we can, but only if it is safe to do so.”
The mud slide occurred yesterday morning on Highway 3A approximately four kilometres north of Castlegar. The event lead to a Declaration of a Local State of Emergency in Area I and an evacuation order for a single property that was at risk. The RDCK activated its EOC to support all agencies involved, including the Ministry of Transportation and Infrastructure and the Ministry of Forests, Land, Natural Resource Operations.
“When we get the assessment from the geotechnical engineers, we will be able to determine a timeline for rescinding the evacuation order and removing the declaration of emergency,” said Mr. Bellerby. “This is a good time to remind residents in the region to understand the natural hazards that may exist where you live, and take steps to prepare for an emergency like a mud slide or a flood. Our website has links to resources that can help you be prepared.”
Links to updates and more information:
- For updates on highway conditions: www.DriveBC.ca
- For updates on transit: https://bctransit.com.
- For updates on the current incident: via www.rdck.ca and on Facebook and Twitter.
- To sign up for the RDCK Emergency Notification System (for location-specific orders to evacuate or shelter in place), go to www.rdck.ca and select “Emergency Alerts” from the home page, or go to the alert system sign-up page at https://rdckemergency.connectrocket.com.
- For general information about emergency preparedness and evacuations, please visit the Emergency Preparedness page of the RDCK website or PreparedBC.
