No Urgency to Resolve Bio-Solids Blockade
Wednesday, December 14, 2011 @ 3:59 AM
Prince George, B.C.- The City of Prince George has not made any official move to remove the blockade that is preventing truck loads of bio solids from being delivered to a farm on Wright Creek Road.
“There is no urgency” says Bill Gaal, the City’s Superintendent of Operations “There is plenty of room on the pad ( storage area) at the Lansdowne treatment facility until this issue can be resolved.”
Gaal says the City has been examining its options, and certainly applying to the court for an injunction is a possibility, but not one the City has moved on at this point. Gaal says the RCMP, and the farmer who has the contract to receive the bio-solids also have options at their disposal.
The blockade started last Friday when the first truckload of bio-solids was on its way to the Arnett farm.
The plan is to spread the bio solids on the property as a fertilizer, then seed the area for pasture, and at some time in the future the area may be used for a forage barley crop.
While the Ministry of the Environment has approved the land application plan developed by Sylvis, the company which has developed previous bio-solid plans for the City, the area residents have a list of concerns they believe need to be addressed. They want the plan revisited and vetoed.
In addition to having concerns about what’s in the bio-solids, they are also concerned there could be possible leaching of chemicals into the springs in the area, an area they say has a very high water table. Gaal says he has full confidence that the plan developed by Sylvis will not have any negative impacts on the area.
At a public meeting held earlier this year in Salmon Valley, John Lavery, Senior Environmental Scientist for Sylvis, said it is his stamp which is on the land application plan, and he will do everything to ensure the plan is managed according to that plan.
Two other bio-solid application plans for the City of Prince George wrapped up earlier this year, one at the PRT Nursery south of the City, the other at Shelley , and both had gone “according to plan”.
Gaal says he is hopeful the matter can be resolved before the road bans come into effect, and that is usually the middle of March.
Comments
Dump it on the city’s park if it’s really that harmless.
Nothing wrong with that idea faxman. How about our local parks and boulevards. They all could use some good fertilizer. Then we could have our greeen spaces green. :)
It would help beautify the city and if the grass is in better condition less watering.
Would also keep some of the travel costs and manhours down – could reduce in this department up to 10%.
as faxman said: if it’s really that harmless put bio solids on city parks and boulevards, how about soccer fields, and the green belt along cotton wood park and school grounds. Farms and hiking trails on Cranbrook Hill , forest for the worlds etc?
Many spots that would benefit from this product closer and more economic
as faxman said: if it’s really that harmless put bio solids on city parks and boulevards, how about soccer fields, and the green belt along cotton wood park and school grounds. Farms and hiking trails on Cranbrook Hill , forest for the worlds etc?
Many spots that would benefit from this product closer and more economic
In the late 70’s Vernon spread their bio solids on school ground, playing fields, etc. The only downside, all the green areas grew tomatoes. Its seems that the tomato seeds could not be destroyed. It was for that reason that people had the process stopped as the reasoning was that if the seeds couldn’t be destroyed what else survived.
I remember when the first “honey wagon” joined the city fleet. the product was spread on feilds that the city used for sod in the parks. long time ago and nothing bad came of that, or did there???
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