Local landfill in the news

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Every man is wise when attacked by a mad dog; fewer when pursued by a mad woman; only the wisest survive when attacked by a mad notion. ~ Robertson Davies

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[Michael]

I've become deeply involved in a local issue in the last couple of weeks.  The landfill in question is right around the corner from where I live.  So I put up this website

Have a look if you're interested, and a signature on the petition would be most appreciated.  The ball is just starting to roll today, with a radio announcement and a big passle of visitors to the site.  Lot's of great feedback too...


Thanks!
Michael

[Nickeson]

Michael,
I recall hanging with you and the other good folks on the ridge above that proposed site last Aug. The pulp mill is bad enough, this would be adding insult, etc. Or maybe they think, "Well, the half-dead pulp mill is already right there, this landfill wouldn't make it that much worse."

But.....in light of these words of certain wisdom found on another thread:

I'm taking it to heart, largely because I will be applying for Canadian citizenship very soon.  My web-presence is more than I'd like it to be, though not too bad I think.

I hope you're keeping your profile below the parapets in this good effort. Remember Farley Mowat. I wonder if Canada appreciates environmental activists from the USA any better than the USA liked their comparables from the north.
                                     
Steven

[Daniel]

Michael,

  I signed it even though I live in Florida, what the hell. Ecosystems unite ...solidarity!

Dan

[marianthi]

In Vancouver, back in the 60?s, there were bylaws restricting the size of commercial signs.  No shop could have one that was too large or loud or somehow offended the visual ?harmony?of its neighborhood.  These laws are probably still there and further refined.

And now some groups want you  to brush off as ?no-big-deal? that huge landfill in Powell River?  For sure far more than the visuals will be affected.  Dropping an uninvited vecinity right in to yours, my friends - not knowing who the new neighbours might turn out to be or who (of any species) they will be displacing in the long run is definately worth all the protesting you can manage. 

Marianthi.

 

[Michael]

Thanks for the reminder Steven.  Duly noted and appreciated.  I am keeping my name off the computer screens as much as possible.

And thanks for the encouragement Marianthi.

Thanks for signing Dan!  The petition is taking off today, with a goal of 5000 signatures.  This could actually make a difference because of this:


Catalyst Paper in Powell River B.C. is trying to gain approval to build a 90 foot high (the highest man made structure in town!) industrial toxic waste landfill in Wildwood, a residential agricultural section of town, and my home. They are brazenly trying to set aside zoning considerations because of their considerable history in influencing local and provincial politics. They have already dumped toxic levels of waste in my local groundwater and contaminated the airspace with dioxin laden fly ash. There are 7 homes within 100 meters of the proposed landfill and 90 homes and a restaurant within the prescribed buffer zone of 300 meters. The local elementary school is 575 meters away and directly downwind.

The only way they can be stopped is by convincing the B.C. government that there are more eyes on this process than the 1,200 residents of Wildwood. Residents are furious and are vigorously opposing the permit process. Their website chronicles the ongoing battle.

What can we do?

Sign the online petition located here.

The government and the company will know that the outcome of this battle is being closely watched and that there can be no back door agreement between the company and the province.

Your signature is critical. We are aiming at 5,000 e-petition signatures to support the physical signatures of the residents of this town. You can live anywhere in the world. You must simply be over 18 years old and have a valid email address. This show of your concern is a powerful presence in this attempt to halt the permit approval. The petition will be sent to the provincial government on May 18th, so we only have a little time.

What else can we do?

You can send the petition link to anyone you know (or your whole email list) who might have an interest in helping the ?David? of Wildwood defeat the deep pocketed ?Goliath? of Catalyst.

Will you please help? Will you please sign the online petition? Would you circulate this email among your concerned friends and neighbors?

[jimtzu]

Good luck in the struggle...  where i live,not only would they ok it, but would throw in a little TIF (tax increment financing) money to make it easier for the company.. 

[marshall]

and what else do you propose to do with all the refuse? got a better idea?

[Michael]

Thanks for those of you who have taken the time to sign the petition!  Much appreciated indeed.

and what else do you propose to do with all the refuse? got a better idea?

From a neighbor here:

I have consistently mentioned that the solution to the whole question of the fly ash is to treat it as a product. It is in thinking of it as such, that the solution lies. In the past, when the fly ash was sent to Rebanco, the ash had to meet technical specifications for it to travel to and be accepted by Rebanco (in WA state). The fly ash was put into containers, sealed and secured and then shipped according to specifications. This worked for years, and only ceased to be attractive because of rising costs. Even if in the short term, Catalyst Paper- Powell River Division must now use Rebanco again, it can now utilize the whole concept of mixing water with the fly ash to form a solid. In forming a solid ?product? for shipment, handling and transportation costs are significantly lower than using empty canisters that must be handled both when empty and full, and have a unit cost of their own.

Also, once the fly ash is solid, it is acceptable to other, more localized, facilities than just Rebanco. If the fly ash was cast into moulds that formed units of a size and shape which could be handled by the existing mechanical loaders now used to handle paper rolls, great efficiencies could be achieved in loading and offloading rail cars or barges.

While reading the Golder Associates technical report, despite its inadequacies, the discussion regarding the Crofton leachate, introduced the commonality of the fly ash from all the hog fuelled boilers along the coast. If in solving the riddle of what to do with the fly ash generated in Powell River; Catalyst Paper-Powell River Division could then also offer its solution to the other Catalyst Paper mills on this coast. Not only would Catalyst Paper gain a competitive advantage among other paper companies, it would give Powell River Division an advantage within Catalyst Paper itself. All the other mills along this coast are facing, or soon will face, the question of their own waste disposal. The first one to find a solution that can be offered to others within the industry would benefit immensely. Catalyst Paper ? Powell River Division is in a strategic position now as it solves this conundrum.

A rational solution would be for Catalyst Paper- Powell River Division to recognize the reality that the landfill in Wildwood does not contain the answers to the waste question. Catalyst Paper- Powell River Division should elect to decommission the landfill as an attempt to solve its deficiencies and to limit the liabilities of the site. A new and separate business entity would probably need to be created to handle the storage of the fly ash solids, and other contracted items to be received. A rational search for an appropriate site, large enough for the entire industry to utilize need not take long. ?after all, how many abandoned open pit mine sites are there? Nor should they be overly expensive. Even sites, as close as on Texada Island, offer significant advantages over Powell River due to a much-reduced rainfall.

A further attractive feature of this proposal is that there is a built in incentive for the producers of the ash to find some sort of use for even small portions of the ash being handled. As part of the process, the sending facility that produces the ash would be in a position to easily implement reductions of volumes to be sent out for storage. The sending facility would be able to receive a benefit to itself by already beginning to process the fly ash. And the company in business to receive the solid wastes would be in a position to utilize the raw resource as it is being handled within the storage process itself.

Source

[marshall]