Testing is underway to figure out if you should be worried about high levels of a toxic chemical that was recently discovered at the landfill in Delta.

There are concerns cadmium, which can cause cancer, could end up in the Fraser River. That’s mainly because of its close proximity to Burns Bog and the fact the landfill doesn’t have a lining to prevent a leak into the water.

Delta Mayor Lois Jackson says Metro Vancouver, which runs the landfill, is working with both her city and the City of Vancouver to come up with new protocols on how to deal with the problem.

“I know we’ve been dealing with many worse substances in the far past, but obviously, we want to make sure that everything is being done to ensure that it is clean.

The province would have to approve any solution that would be offered up by Metro Vancouver.

“Delta and Vancouver, as partners with Metro, are certainly well aware, so it is ongoing and they are trying to get the protocols together,” adds Jackson.

The ash tested was used for road construction and the backfill on top of the dump.

“What they did… was stockpile the ash and test it from there. That was ongoing and making sure that this was… not a problem, if you would, for those that were using it,” says Jackson.

Right now, rechargeable batteries are being blamed.