Interfor plans to burn up to 400 cubic metres of wood waste per month for up to 16 months at its property in the Twin Creeks area of West Howe Sound to rid the site of wood waste.
The company is seeking a permit through the Environmental Management Act to burn the debris for up to 12 days each month and Sunshine Coast Regional District (SCRD) directors addressed the issue during their March 12 planning and development committee meeting.
“They’ve been attempting to sort it out and send it to appropriate places, but they have more than they can deal with,” said senior planer Andrew Allen, noting Howe Sound Pulp and Paper used to take the debris and burn it as hog fuel, but over the past few years, the mill has been bringing in drier wood from forests devastated by pine beetles. “They’re mixing smaller amounts of the local wet wood into that. They prefer to burn the dry wood.”
Directors were not in favour of Interfor’s plan, but acknowledged the need to do something. They decided to inform both Interfor and the Ministry of Environment that if burning is permitted it should only happen between Oct. 15 and April 15 when the forecast allows for proper ventilation of the smoke; that Interfor should consider other options to prevent or reduce the amount of burning required; that an air quality device should be installed nearby to monitor impacts; that the Sechelt Landfill has no capacity to handle the wood waste ash that would be created; that the SCRD does not support the application without a management plan for the ash and a long-term management plan for future wood waste handling; and that the Ministry of Environment should consider creating a comprehensive wood waste management plan for all of West Howe Sound.
Granthams Hall
Granthams Hall is closed until further notice after structural engineering reports identified the roof needs to be replaced and the foundation reconstructed.
Reports show “the risk of roof or foundation failure would be increased in the event of a heavy snow load or seismic event” and engineers recommend that, “the hall not be used for public events until remediation has been completed.”
The hall is now closed until a proper risk assessment for the facility can be undertaken. In the interim, regular users of the hall are being offered other SCRD spaces to utilize.
Directors asked staff to prepare a presentation for the Granthams Landing community to explain the issue and talk about the required repairs as well as parking improvements, setback encroachments and septic system improvements needed on site.
A public consultation session will also be set up sometime within the next six to eight weeks to gather input from the community on the future of the hall.
IPP aspirations
Representatives from BluEarth Renewables told board members at the March 12 planning and development committee meeting that the company has recently taken over the Tyson Creek Hydro project and it wants to become a major stakeholder in other independent power projects in Narrows Inlet.
BluEarth is currently in discussions with the Sechelt Indian Band regarding the Narrows Inlet IPPs.
The company based in Calgary was created in 2010 to develop renewable power projects throughout North America.
When directors asked if BluEarth would fulfill commitments made by previous IPP licence holders to the regional district, representatives said they would “honour any agreements made.”
Representatives also agreed to meet with Halfmoon Bay director Garry Nohr to talk more about the concerns of his constituents in regards to IPPs in Area B.
Middlepoint dock
Directors again forwarded their concerns over a massive proposed dock and two breakwaters in the Middlepoint area to the province during their March 12 regular board meeting.
The application was brought back to the SCRD for comment after proponents were made to change the application’s tenure type from “specific permission” to a “15-year fixed term lease.”
Directors reiterated their previous concerns over the size and potential impacts of the dock and breakwaters proposed by founder of Lululemon Dennis (Chip) Wilson, adding that the definition of private moorage in the BC Land Use Operation Policy “is altered by the change in tenure type.”
The definition of a dock in the policy for private moorage notes “works are to be limited to a single elevated pier/walkway leading to a ramp and one moorage float … having a plain rectangular shape.”
