The City of Yellowknife says it anticipates its landfill will resume operating its regular hours by mid-February.
There is currently a fire within the waste at the dump. According to the city, there is no threat to the surrounding area, however, and staff and residents are not at risk. No equipment has been damaged, the municipality added.
"The Yellowknife Fire Division considers the subsurface fire to be under control. In the event that the incident escalates, contingency plans have been prepared," said Abby Schelew, a communications advisor with the city. "Staff are dedicated to resolving this incident safely, responsibly and as quickly as possible.
"The city is preparing to focus their efforts on full extinguishment," said Schelew, adding that the municipality recognizes this situation is an inconvenience and appreciates everyoneSA国际影视传媒檚 patience.
As far as timelines go, Coun. Garrett Cochrane said he thinks that mid-February is a realistic deadline for the city to meet. He added that he first heard about the fire when it was made public in January.
Managing this fire is currently costing the city the city about $80,000, according to Cochrane. That money is not part of the city's budget, and instead had to be identified by moving some funds around.
For now, the landfill is closed on weekends, however, the site is operating under its regular hours Tuesday to Friday. The dump is closed on Mondays.
In an email sent to SA国际影视传媒 on Jan. 22, the city said that, while these expenses were not budgeted for, the municipality is in reasonably good financial health and has processes that allow it to manage emergency events.
"As more information becomes available on how this incident will impact the citySA国际影视传媒檚 budget, council will be updated," the city stated.
