By Matthew Bains

 PEACE REGION – The board of the Peace River Regional District threw their support behind a group of residents opposed to an industrial waste landfill being built near their homes.

 On Feb. 25, the board heard the concerns of the Bessborough Landowners’ Association, representing those residents who are opposed to the location of the proposed Sunrise Waste Management Facility. The proponent, CCS Corporation, wants to construct and operate the secure landfill, which would accept oilfield, forestry and other industrial wastes, adjacent and to the south of the existing Bessborough municipal landfill near Farmington.
 Resident Bonnie Lehmann, who was joined by her neighbours Ben Brown and Sandra Mertin, said there are over a dozen homes that are either adjacent to or within one kilometre of the proposed site.

 “Is there no place where that could be located so that it’s not in such close proximity to people?” asked Lehmann. “We’re talking children and grandchildren who would like to take over the family farm. Please consider that as you look at our arguments.”

 Mertin said she came from the West Kootenays, where she lived two kilometres away from a tailing pond for a mining operation and not far from a regional waste disposal site. She said she and her neighbours “experienced an orange sludge that came up” within a 10 kilometre area.

 “We really don’t know how our aquifers will transfer stuff, even though we do the best to protect things, we just don’t know,” said Mertin.

 Lehmann said they’ve asked the company to relocate the proposed facility further north and east where there are no residents nearby, but that has been refused. She said the PRRD has more clout than the residents and since the proposed location is on the Agricultural Land Reserve, the board has some influence on whether the application would proceed to the Agriculture Land Commission.

 “It all comes down to what is most important,” said Lehmann. “Is it the health and welfare of the local people, or is it the cheaper costs and convenience of a big company that can’t be bothered to look for an alternate site.”

 Ken John of the Farmington-based group Peace Environment and Safety Trustees said his group supports the Bessborough Landownwers’ Association. He said under the Environmental Assessment Act, the Environment Minister can suspend the assessment process pending the outcome of other inquiries led by other agencies, including regional districts. He suggested the board write a letter to Minister Barry Penner asking him to exercise that discretion.

 John added the proposed project contradicts the principles of reducing land-use conflict, enhancing the rural lifestyle, preserving the agricultural land base and encouraging public involvement in land use planning and development included in the rural area Official Community Plan.
 The PRRD directors indicated they shared some of those concerns themselves.

 “I’m totally in favour of having this looked at very seriously, because of the proximity of the homes and the dugouts in that area, and three-quarters of that site looks like agricultural land,” said Pouce Coupe director Lyman Clark. “I find that site choice, in relationship to these other things, to be quite disgusting.”

 Electoral Area D director Wayne Hiebert agreed, adding the site would also increase truck traffic to the area, which would impact many more people. Fort St. John director Lori Ackerman said she shared concerns about water stewardship. Electoral Area C director Arthur Hadland said he was concerned about taking more land out of the ALR and suggested the site should be relocated to an area already zoned for industrial uses.

 The board voted to write a letter to Penner to request he suspend the EA process so alternatives could be looked at. The PRRD had not received a rezoning application at that point, and the project was in the pre-application stage of the EA process. CCS could not be reached for comment before press time.