Shxwhá:y Village and Headlands Environmental Celebrate Grand Opening of North America’s First Mobile Soil Washing Facility
The new facility combines Indigenous partnership and next-generation technology to advance environmental stewardship and economic development in the Fraser Valley
CHILLIWACK, B.C., June 30, 2026 – Shxwhá:y Village and Headlands Environmental are pleased to announce the grand opening of North America’s first mobile, modular, dual-feed soil washing facility, marking a milestone in environmental remediation technology and Indigenous economic partnership in Chilliwack and the Fraser Valley.
The new facility will process significant volumes of excess and contaminated soils generated by major infrastructure and development projects. The state-of-the-art technology separates reusable sand, stone, and aggregates from contaminated or excess soils, allowing treated soil to be reused on-site or processed for future projects rather than sent to landfill.
“As demand continues to grow for sustainable solutions that recover and repurpose contaminated soils, this facility gives us another proven way to keep valuable material out of the landfill,” said Mike Hofer, President, Headlands Environmental. “And being the first to bring this technology to North America reflects Headlands deep commitment to innovation, and the environment.”
Operating as a closed-loop system 24-hours a day, 365 days a year, the plant can process up to 2,880 metric tonnes of contaminated soil daily. At a 90% recovery rate, the facility is expected to create roughly one million tonnes of usable aggregate for construction reuse annually, easing mounting pressure on landfill capacity across the Lower Mainland and Fraser Valley, while reducing demand for virgin aggregate extraction from local pits and quarries.
“This project represents innovation rooted in partnership and stewardship,” said Chief Robert Gladstone. “Together, we are creating long-term environmental and economic benefits for our community and future generations.”
Headlands and Shxwhá:y Village have worked together in various capacities since 2011 and have partnered directly since 2015. The new facility is an extension of the long-standing relationship and will be operated by a skilled team from Shxwhá:y Village.
“This project contributes directly to our community’s economic self-sufficiency,” said Chief Gladstone. “It supports investment in our community and in the health, housing, and education programs that matter most to our people.”
The plant was designed by Tyrone International in Ireland, with equipment supplied by Frontline Machinery, and will be operated by Headlands Environmental and Kermode Environmental in partnership with Shxwhá:y Village.
“By working alongside Shxwhá:y Village on a project of this scale, we’re building something that delivers real environmental and economic benefits, together,” said Hofer. “This is what long-term partnership looks like in practice.”
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About Headlands Environmental
Headlands Environmental (Headlands) is an environmental services company based in Chilliwack, British Columbia. Its facility offers the first mobile, modular, scalable, dual-feed soil washing plant in North America. As an experienced team in the industry since 2008, Headlands has successfully managed many environmental projects for all levels of industry, government, and First Nations, both locally in British Columbia and internationally. HeadlandsEnvironmental.com
Media contact:
Samantha Falk: sam@samfalk.com
Samantha Falk Communications
