A Saskatchewan village and a contractor it hired are facing significant fines after conservation officers discovered they dumped demolition waste at an illegal landfill.

The Village of Young and Davnn Contracting of Kenaston face fines totaling $42,000 following the joint investigation between Ministry of Environment staff and provincial conservation officers.

A Ministry of Environment spokesperson says it was alerted to the illegal dumping in August 2022.

The ministry says the Village of Young hired Davnn Contracting to demolish six old houses and haul them to a gravel pit approximately 1.6 kilometres out of town. However, the contractor dumped the waste into a hole in a gravel pit and covered it with debris and dirt.

Under the Environmental Management and Protection Act, those who fail to dispose of waste appropriately will be charged.

“Demolishing old buildings creates many different types of waste, some of which can be very harmful to the environment and human health. It is vital to dispose of such waste properly to avoid serious impacts for the air, soil, and water - not to mention significant fines and cleanup costs,” the provincial government said.

Davnn Contracting of Kenaston pleaded guilty to illegal dumping and operating an illegal landfill in January, resulting in a $21,000 fine.

Two months later in March, the Village of Young pleaded guilty to the same offences and received a $21,000 fine. The village was ordered to clean up the site by the end of the year.

The village was provided with two notices from the Ministry of Corrections, Policing, and Public Safety over the course of a year to voluntarily clean up the illegal disposal site. The ministry said its failure to comply led to charges being laid in November 2023.

The Village of Young is located about 100 kilometres southeast of Saskatoon.