A new study says a massive landfill near Cache Creek is leaching toxic pollutants into the south central British Columbia environment, threatening local wells and raising health concerns about drinking water.

Researchers say the landfill where Metro Vancouver has dumped nearly eight million tonnes of waste is leaking heavy metals, hydrocarbons and other chemicals.

The dump located near Ashcroft is sealed with a liner and supposed to be secure from leaks for at least 200 years. But environmental consultants found traces of leachate almost everywhere they looked outside the site, as well as in groundwater.

"I was quite floored by it," said Dr. Michael Easton President and CEO of International EcoGen Inc. during an interview with the Globe and Mail. His company investigated the site for the Nlaka'pamux Nation Tribal Council, with funding from Health Canada.

Nlakapamux Tribal Council Chief Bob Pasco and his colleagues say they have been trying for 20 years to tell the government about health concerns seeping out of the cache creek landfill.

"When we're left out, as we have been, then there's a problem,'' Pasco said.

Most landfills in B.C. are unlined

The Council hired its own scientist to test nearby wells and the results are hard to swallow.

"The current water, the raw water, the untreated water is undrinkable,'' said Dr. Easton.

Dr. Easton says he has found toxic pollutants in at least three wells used by First Nations communities.

'"There was a presence of leachate in the groundwater. Leachate is the material that is produced by the bacteria in a landfill'

The study detected leachate in Bonaparte Creek and Thompson River. It was even found as far as six kilometres away from the landfill near Ashcroft.

Dr. Easton's report blames a faulty liner. He says it was intended to last 200 years. But 20 years later, with nearly eight million tonnes of waste breaking down on top of it, it's letting contaminants seep through into the groundwater below.

Council travelled to Vancouver

"Most landfills in British Columbia are unlined and leachate is leaking out of all of those landfills,'' Dr. Easton said.

B.C.'s Environment Minister Barry Penner hasn't seen this report yet and he says he'd like to. Cache Creek Mayor John Ranta says the 40 studies they've conducted over the last 20 years do not match with this report.

But Pasco said the Tribal Council would like to be part of those studies.

"It's very questionable how they do their work, and how they come to their conclusions. We don't know that, we're not part of the process and I guess this is the reason why we're here,'' Pasco said.

Council members travelled to Vancouver to file a petition with the B.C. Supreme Court that would allow them to participate in the environmental assessment process.

Since the site is expected to reach capacity by next year -- and there's talk of either moving or expanding it -- the First Nations communities want to make sure they have a say.

With a report by CTV British Columbia's Reshmi Nair