North Cowichan Council moved to earmark $75,000 for a site investigation at 3191 Sherman Road for possible contamination.
The site is the future home of an affordable housing project.
It was prompted by the discovery of arsenic in a test well, the source of which is unknown at this time.
Director of Planning Rob Conway says that the hope was construction would start in 2024 and he believes that once the contamination issue is resolved construction can begin.
The report to council noted that apart from the arsenic, the site passed all contamination requirements.
All of the 75,000 for the investigation would come from the Affordable Housing Reserve Fund.
“It’s a naturally occurring, usually, arsenic through peat in the ground,” said CAO Tim Swaybe “It sounds worse than it usually is in terms of developing.”
He added that this study will help determine the extent of the contamination and what cleanup will be needed.
