‘My kids are my main concern’: Fifth sinkhole appears on Langley councillor’s property

A fifth sinkhole has appeared on, or near, Langley Township councillor Rob Rindt’s property.

Naturally, he is worried about the safety of his family and staff on his property.

Rindt grows sod for sports fields, homes and parks on his Langley Township turf farm. He also operates and co-owns the Roots and Wings Distillery on the property.

Across the street, contractors for Trans Mountain are drilling underground for a pipeline expansion.

Rindt said he has a “sinking feeling” when working in his fields.

“My kids are my main concern,” he told Global News. “I don’t want them to be walking and have them disappear into a 30-foot sinkhole.”

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Since April, the councillor said he’s discovered five sinkholes, with the most recent nine meters deep on or near his property.

“Falling 30 feet is pretty dangerous, especially for a small kid,” Rindt said.

Trenchless construction is underway on the nearby 240 Street.

Trans Mountain said it’s completing a horizontal directional drill to safely cross underneath waterways, railways, highways and sensitive environmental areas.

Rindt said the sinkholes started appearing after Trans Mountain began its work.

He also said crews on the work site have told him remediation could take up to a year.

“I would like them to address the issues and make sure all the areas where they were doing the trenchless system — there’s no potential or risk for new sinkholes in the future,” Rindt said.

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Trans Mountain has given Global News a statement regarding the situation.

“We have encountered challenging ground conditions in the area that have resulted in the formation of a small number of localized sinkholes, which is not unexpected,” a spokesperson said in an email.

“Our crews temporarily stabilized the sinkholes and, now that this trenchless crossing is complete, they will be permanently repaired in consultation with affected landowners. Work in the area will continue, including pipeline tie-ins, backfilling around the pipeline, clean up and reclamation ongoing to summer 2023.”

Rindt and his partner said business at their distillery is down 35 to 40 per cent due to road closures and construction noise but their biggest concern is the long-term impact on the property.