With no place left for Metro Vancouver's garbage to go, and support for capturing energy from landfill waste evident in this week's Throne Speech, it appears that waste-to-energy facilities will be part of the region’s waste management plan.
That has sparked a lot of interest from waste-to-energy proponents.
Metro Vancouver's waste management committee chair Marvin Hunt told The Tyee he has been inundated with calls and emails from various companies.
"I've been flooded," said Hunt, who estimates he has received 45 to 50 proposals for waste-to-energy projects over the past year, with more coming all the time. "I had one call this morning at nine-fifteen asking when they can come and talk about their proposal."
"There's a lot of companies that hear people talking about it and they're really not interested in it at all. We're very serious about looking at the possibilities of this."
Metro Vancouver staff is currently preparing a draft solid waste management plan, which will be presented to the board of directors mid-September, Hunt said. Even if the board approves waste-to-energy facilities to deal with the region's garbage, it needs provincial approval before exploring specific technologies. Hunt stressed that this process will not begin until next year.
Covanta Energy is one of the interested parties. The New Jersey-based company already has stakes in British Columbia and could begin construction on a waste-to-energy facility on Vancouver Island by the end of this year.
An organization called Zero Waste Vancouver and Abbotsford councilor Patricia Ross have been vocal opponents of waste-to-energy, period. Ross told The Tyee she is concerned that any technology will inevitably contribute to poor air quality, which is already a big concern in her community.
"The people living in the Fraser Valley, we live it, we breath it, it's our biggest issue," Ross said. "We want to reduce what we already have."
Colleen Kimmett reports for The Tyee.
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freebear
2 years ago
D'uh Campbell's friends are already lining up!
Now if we treated our trees like garbage we would keep them in BC and make something from them!
Bob Lenarduzzi hopes Gordo will keep his promise!
Just like the proposed roof Bob, Campbell promises are retractable!
I wonder which corporate special interest group is waiting in the wings?
Nuclear Energy Companies?
Dam Builders?
One question answered honestly (a wasted plea!) would be helpful - will BC Hydro reveal the Run of River, Wind Farm, Tidal, Waste to Energy, etc. electricity purchase agreements so that electricity consumers will understand why they are paying more for their electricity?
I am willing to pay more for green energy, but not so companies can export power and be able to sell it for less than what we pay for it!
If it is sold to California for (e.g) 12 cents a kilowatt hour we should not be expected to pay 15 cents per kilowatt hour for the same electricity that is being generated using land, water, airspace in BC!
I don't expect an honest answer to the question though....
Also if electricty rates go up, at some point people may just say to hell with it and stop using and buying all of that electricity dependent consumer products!
I guess that will be a possible future scenario:
People in BC who can not afford electricity will be shivering in the dark as California lights up on our energy!
Now I would support the green power 'push' if things are reversed; where we (BC Hydro)buy BC Independent Power Projects' electricty generation at whatever price makes them feasible, and then we sell excess to California , or wherever, at a higher price per kilowatt hour!
Then again, we better make sure other jurisdictions are willing to pay the premium for our green electricity before we have a green energy gold rush!