In 2011, residents of Shawnigan Lake, B.C., learned of an application for a permit to receive contaminated soils at quarry site Lot 23.
Residents immediately raised concerns: the site is five kilometres south of, and uphill from, Shawnigan Lake, a major watershed for about 12,000 people.
Despite their concerns, the B.C. Ministry of Environment granted the permit in August 2013. The permit allowed the site to receive 100,000 tonnes of contaminated soil per year for 50 years. The soil could originate from anywhere in the world and could contain substances with known links to cancer and damage to the nervous, reproductive and immune systems.
"Fraud Unravels All" documents the small community's efforts to fight for clean water.
Taehoon Kim
Taehoon Kim is a photographer, producer and editor based in Vancouver, B.C.