Ball May Be Back In City's Court on Asphalt Plant Emissions

By Michelle Cyr-Whiting

Prince George City Councillor Brian Skakun calls a brief sit-down meeting with Environment Minister Barry Penner in Victoria to discuss asphalt plant emissions in our city a "productive" one, but the onus to act may be back on city council.

On behalf of council, Mayor Colin Kinsley sent a letter to the minister last month asking for a review of the current provincial regulations and asking for the toughest emissions standard under the current regulations to be imposed on local asphalt plants in time for the start of the spring season.

Skakun says Minister Penner was receptive to the requests, but pointed out, "that municipalities also have a responsibility and can act under the Community Charter to create their own asphalt plant regulations." 

Skakun says this is what he believes the Greater Vancouver Regional District did, and, as a result, the GVRD has more stringent regulations than the province.  And, he says, that's the message he'll be bringing back to his council colleagues.

"We don't know what kind of legal framework we'd have to do to develop a bylaw, so, I think, our administration is going to have to take a serious look at how you draft a bylaw that industry would have to comply with and is actually a legal bylaw - maybe this is a new thing."

Skakun is in Victoria for a BC Tourism Conference, but says MLA Shirley Bond arranged and sat in on the meeting with the Environment Minister.

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