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Rob Hutchins, CVRD Chair, response to the Public Consultation summary provided by Active Earth
on behalf of SIA

November 29, 2012

download a pdf of this document     

via email:  /uc.lachance@gov.bc.ca

Ministry of Environment
2080A Labieux Road
NANAIMO BC  V9T 6J9

Attention:  Mr. Luc LaChance

Dear Mr. LaChance,

Re:      South Island Aggregates Waste Discharge Permit Application -
Summary of Public Consultations                                                      

On November 28, 2012 a document prepared for South Island Aggregates entitled "Summary of Public Consultations,  Applications for Authorization to Discharge Waste at 460 Stebbings Road, Shawnigan Lake BC" (attached} was provided to the CVRD from a member of the public.  It was the first time the document had been received by the CVRD.

The purpose of my letter, at this time, is to respond to two conclusions or statements  contained in the report.  First, on page eight of the report it is stated:

"SIA and Active Earth met with CVRD Board and Staff members on several occasions,  both before, and during the consultation period.   The first of these meetings  was on March 6, 2012 when representatives  of Active Earth and SIA met with Area Director Bruce Fraser at the SIA offices to discuss the concept of the proposed  facility.   At that time Director  Fraser expressed  his support for the facility and that the CVRD as a whole, recognized the need for such a facility."

The CVRD Board is on record stating facilities  for handling contaminated  soils are needed and in fact the CVRD Board has offered to work with the Province to find a suitable site for such a purpose within the Regional District.   However, to be very clear the CVRD Board is opposed to and has emphatically expressed its opposition to locating a contaminated  soils facility at the SIA site on Stebbings Road in Shawnigan Lake.  The Board arrived at this position after thoroughly considering the issues and listening to the community  which, in the opinion of the Board, is very opposed  to the facility siting due primarily to concerns  about water and the environment.   For the record, it was Director Fraser, Electoral Area Director,  Shawnigan Lake that presented  and moved the Board resolution opposing the SIA application.

On page nine of the report it is stated that:

"Overall  feedback  has been provided  by less  than 10% of the local population (likely  less  than 5%),  even though  the  application  was  well-publicized  (sic)  by both the proponent  and an opposition  group calling themselves  the Shawnigan Creek Protection Society.  This indicates a high-degree  (sic) of indifference to the proposal by the local population..."

With all due respect to the report's authors the conclusion that the local population is indifferent to the  SIA proposal is,  in the  opinion of the CVRD, inaccurate. Based on the information received by the CVRD Board from the public, the attendance and presentations to the July 12, 2012 CVRD-hosted Public Meeting and the ongoing presentations and feedback to the CVRD
Board and Board members, it is evident that the local community is strongly opposed to the SIA proposal.  In fact, the conclusion I draw is opposite to that expressed in the report. Concluding that there is a "high-degree (sic) of indifference to the proposal by the local population" is simply wrong in my opinion.

Thank you for the opportunity to clarify the CVRD's perspective on this issue. Yours truly,

Rob Hutchins
Chair

WJ/ann
Attachment

pc:          Board of Directors
South Island Aggregates

     

 

 
 
 

 

 

Bruce Fraser 250.733.0771 (Office)       250.888.0160 (Cell)
CVRD Regional Director-Shawnigan Lake


 

 

 

 

 

 


Timing of SIA Decision

download a pdf of this document


Question asked by SUNFM
When is the Ministry planning to deliver its decision on South Island Aggregates' application to dispose of contaminated soil at a quarry on Stebbings Rd. in Shawnigan Lake?


 Answer from MOE: November 30, 2012
Last week the applicant (SIA) submitted their final application documents in support of their contaminated soil treatment and disposal permit application.  The Ministry will be reviewing the technical and consultation related documents received and hope to be able to make a decision early in the new year.
Stuart Bertrand
Junior Public Affairs Officer
Ministry of Environment
250-387-9630
Stuart.Bertrand@gov.bc.ca

 

Response to SIA Public Consultation Report
by Active Earth

Bruce Fraser, Area Director, Shawnigan Lake

November 29, 2012

download a pdf of this document

 “…a high degree of indifference to the proposal by the local population”  Active Earth Summary of Public Consultations

Active Earth has produced their summary of the public response to the application by SIA to establish a contaminated soil dump at their Stebbings Road Quarry. Members of the public who were directly engaged in the consultations conducted by SIA and by the CVRD are calling into question the completeness of the public response report, citing a substantial misreading of public concern and dismissive treatment of the real issues raised about watershed integrity by those who responded. Downplaying the public concern for threats to the Shawnigan watershed appears to be an attempt to dismiss a public outcry that was abundantly evident during the consultations.  The public consultation report illustrates very well why public consultation should be conducted and interpreted by an independent and objective agency rather than by agents for the proponent.  A good case in point is their suggestion that I supported their proposal at its first presentation, willfully transforming a polite reception to a conceptual draft into endorsement.  The CVRD is on record as willing to work with the Ministry of Environment in searching for a needed but also suitable facility location that does not compromise a domestic watershed.  This is definitely not the same as endorsing the SIA proposal.

The validity of the engineering proposal has also been called into question by the Provincial Groundwater Protection Officer and by an independent review conducted by Lowen Hydrogeology Consulting under contract to the Shawnigan Residents Association.  Presentation of the SIA proposal at the CVRD sponsored public meeting served to further reduce public confidence in the proposal.  Questions of seismic safety, liner integrity over time, management of surface water, sustainability of the proposed leachate treatment system, lack of prior evidence of successful engineering in similar sites, accuracy of the groundwater aquifer descriptions and long term integrity of the site remain.  These are not the trivial concerns of an “indifferent population”.

The Ministry of Environment is faced with serious questions both of engineering and public concern, reflected in very clear statements from qualified professionals, public interest groups, individual citizens and by the CVRD Board of Directors.  
I do not believe it is in the public interest to deliberately subject a major drinking water supply to contamination risks and no government should be approving such a risk over the valid objections of affected citizens.  Approval of the SIA application under these circumstances would be unjustifiable and a grievous mistake by government.