The City of Cranbrook says it is taking steps to address concerns raised by WorkSafeBC following a February monster truck event at Western Financial Place that has since drawn media and public scrutiny.
The city received an administrative penalty tied to four WorkSafeBC orders, which have since been marked “closed,” meaning no further corrective action is required.
While the city is not disputing the penalty, it says operational changes are underway to prevent similar issues in the future.
In a statement released this week, the city also pushed back against what it called “misinformation” circulating about the source of dirt used at the event and its connection to Cranbrook’s wastewater lagoon system.
Officials said the dirt originated from a nearby road construction project extending 30th Avenue to the College of the Rockies.
It was stored over winter on dry land at a higher elevation than the lagoons and later transported to the event site.
“The risk of contamination travelling from the lagoons uphill across land to the clean dirt pile during the four months of winter is extremely low,” the city said.
To address concerns, the city hired an environmental testing firm to analyze leftover dirt samples from the same pile.
According to the city, the samples tested negative for contaminants.
Air and surface testing inside the arena also found no issues.
City officials emphasized that the lagoon system is fully contained and that wastewater is piped to irrigation fields east of the city.
Joseph Creek, which runs near the site, is not connected to the lagoon system.
“The suggestion that contaminated dirt from the wastewater lagoon property was used in the event is false,” the city said.
The city is also reviewing its protocols for past and future events and has initiated an independent third-party investigation to establish the facts surrounding the event.
Officials say they are cooperating with WorkSafeBC and are involved in the agency’s appeal process.
Further updates will be provided as the review continues.
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