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Incinerator proposal ignites fears for health, environment

There were more questions than answers as more than 50 people gathered at the Brackendale Art Gallery on Wednesday, Dec. 12 to discuss a wood-waste co-generation plant proposed for the Cheekye Fan.

There were more questions than answers as more than 50 people gathered at the Brackendale Art Gallery on Wednesday, Dec. 12 to discuss a wood-waste co-generation plant proposed for the Cheekye Fan.

SNC Lavalin has proposed building the plant, which it says would burn 250 tons of clean wood waste per day to generate electricity, with all of the combustible material drawn from a five-mile radius around Squamish.

But many of the speakers expressed concern that there is not enough clean material in the area to keep the plant going, and are worried that the plant may be used to burn municipal garbage, municipal solid waste material and even sewage sludge trucked in from the Lower Mainland. Concerns ranged from increased pollution to decreased property values, though several speakers said if the proposed plant does only burn clean fuel at a high temperature, it could actually improve air quality currently degraded by many smaller outdoor burning operations.

"We don’t know the magnitude of the project or who it is serving," said Paradise Valley resident Nicola Kozakiewicz. "We don’t know what waste will be burned or where it will come from. Lavalin has been evasive."

She cited possible pollutants in the form of particulates, dioxins and other substances as potentially harmful to residents and the environment, as well as diesel fumes from the trucks needed to haul all the material to the property, which is owned by B.C. Hydro and is next to the utility’s substation in the fan.

"Is this sort of thing self-policing or is there an agency to monitor pollution levels?" she asked. "Self-enforcement can often mean no enforcement."

While many in the crowd came to hear the facts before they make up their mind, Ferdinand Vondruska said residents must "make it clear to city council we’re not going to take this garbage – not ever.

"Why is Squamish in such a mess? Why are we even talking about transferring pollution from the land and water into the air? Do we really have that much wood waste here? Lavalin says it can get 250 tons a day in wood chips and waste for the next 10 years. That’s more than 92,000 tons a year," he said. "I’m concerned that someone at Lavalin has a hidden agenda. And I suggest that the powers that be in Whistler pay a little more attention. They are a bit complacent and blasé about what is going on outside their four walls, but this will really affect them."

Spencer Fitschen said if the plant burns only clean wood waste and it stops all the other wood waste burning in the community, which is not being done cleanly, it would not be a bad deal.

Former Squamish Councillor Lyle Fenton tackled the issue of particulate matter in the air from wood burning, saying testing done in downtown Squamish already indicates the air in the community exceeds safe levels some of the time. He said the regional district is already looking at a major composting project for the whole of the Sea to Sky Corridor that would include wood waste, yard trimmings and municipal sludge to create new soil.

"Incineration would take away the cleanest part of this waste, and it is not the best solution," he said. "And particulate matter smaller than 2.5 microns (1/20th the width of a hair) go deep into the lungs where the oxygen is taken in. That obviously aggravates heart and lung diseases. And the particulate matter also acts as an effective delivery system for other toxins (such as mold spores and asbestos fibres)."

He suggested that council must be convinced to amend the Official Community Plan and the zoning bylaw to ensure that only clean waste can be incinerated.

New Councillor Ian Sutherland dropped a bombshell when he told the crowd that the Industrial-3 zoning on the property, which would allow the incinerator, does not carry the requirement for council to issue a development permit for the project.

"That means you can do whatever you want to do, and council is very limited in what it can do," he said, adding that council could amend the bylaw to include the permitting process.

Barry Wilkinson, community relations co-ordinator for B.C. Hydro, who until recently had lived in Squamish for 10 years, said though Hydro owns the land and could purchase the power, it is not a partner in the project in any way.

"This project belongs to SNC Lavalin, and it is up to them to get all the permits and satisfy the concerns of the community," he said. "SNC Lavalin’s is just one of 23 proposals for independent power projects under 40 megawatts, and there are three biomass projects of which this is one. If in time it is accorded the status of clean, green energy, Hydro will buy that power at a premium rate. But it has to meet several serious criteria to get that green energy badge."

With no national standards, B.C. Hydro has set its own terms for what it calls Low Impact Biomass Electricity Generation Projects, including having minimal effect on: net local and regional air quality; water quality; watersheds, river systems and fisheries; flora and fauna; geophysical features; noise; visual aesthetics; and any additional build-up of hazardous and toxic waste.

Among the low impact principles defined by Hydro are: Biomass is derived from organic waste material that has no other commercial use or is the lowest environmental impact alternative; displaces a less efficient use of the waste; produces minimal (or net reduce) greenhouse gas emissions; derive energy from renewable, sustainably-managed resources; conserve sensitive areas and endangered species; preserve or improve the overall regional air quality; project development has low environmental impact on land resources; commitment to continual improvement.

Wilkinson urged everyone at the meeting to attend a public meeting that was organized by SNC Lavalin for Dec. 19 at the Sea to Sky Hotel.

"I’ve heard a lot of good questions tonight and I’ve heard a lot of speculation," he said. "There is obviously a huge knowledge gap. I urge you to all attend the meeting Dec. 19, ask your questions and take it from there."