Okotoks Town Council approved a Capital Budget amendment of $350,000 for the Pason Arena Expansion Project, at their last council meeting Tuesday, May 23.

The extra funding will be used to meet methane mitigation requirements for the project, which is expected to open in 2018.

Susan Laurin, Community Services Director with the Town says concerns about methane stem from the sports field area between the Pason Arena and Foothills Composite High School.

"In the early 1980's the province reclaimed the old landfill site so that it could be a sports field," she explains. "We have been monitoring those sites for the last 30 years, and had no methane readings whether in the buildings or on the sports fields proper. However, when we were starting the construction process we did get one reading on the middle of the sports field."

She says the Methane Abatement Program for the Pason Expansion began after a strong recommendation from Alberta Health Services to build a barrier between the old landfill site and new arena.

Laurin shares the expenditure may end up saving the town time, and money in the long run.

"This is a precautionary measure so we wouldn't have to go in after the fact, there's a lot of cost savings by having the contractor there and doing it while the arena is being constructed."

The sports field at the Foothills Composite High School was recently re-opened after being closed for five months due to increased levels of methane.

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