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'It Stinks Like Garbage'

Chief worries about expanding Cache Creek dump. Decisions favour Liberal donors.

By Andrew MacLeod, 8 Jan 2010, TheTyee.ca

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Environment Minister Barry Penner and Premier Gordon Campbell (photo from barrypennerisawesome.com)

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Chief Robert Pasco, the chair of the Nlaka'pamux Nation Tribal Council, is clear what he thinks of the provincial government's decision to allow the expansion of the Cache Creek landfill, or dump: "I think it stinks like garbage. I think it's wrong."

Environment Minister Barry Penner and Rural Development Minister Bill Bennett announced Wednesday they have given an environmental assessment certificate to a plan that will expand the dump by 42 hectares and extend its use for 17 to 25 years. The dump, run by Belkorp Environmental Services Inc., had at one time been slated to close in 2010.

Cache Creek mayor John Ranta, who was reportedly pleased with the decision, told the Kamloops Daily News he was impressed with the speed of the province's decision, made less than six days after it came before the ministers. "To have it approved already is a surprise and a thrill," he told the paper. They could have taken up to 45 days to consider.

Pasco was less complimentary. "I don't see how they could so quickly have gone through that information and made a decision," he said in an interview. "They must be fast readers."

Penner was unavailable Thursday for an interview.

In recent months the province has played a growing role in what happens to Metro Vancouver's garbage and the dollars that come with it. Cache Creek and Belkorp appear likely to benefit from those decisions. Pasco worries the expanded dump will make life worse for the people he represents.

Big money in garbage

There's no question large amounts of money are riding on where Vancouver's garbage goes. Even the province's announcement about the environmental assessment notes that it is a $100-million project that could bring $1 million a year in royalties to local communities and $2 million a year to the province in taxes.

A 2007 Tyee story noted there were some 23 companies vying to take Vancouver's garbage.

Just because it's lucrative, doesn't make it right, said Chief Pasco. While the government's announcement said the Bonaparte Indian Band and the Ashcroft Indian Band took part in the environmental assesment and supported the project, it failed to mention that the Nlaka'pamux Nation Tribal Council is already fighting in court against plans to extend the use of the landfill.

"I don't like the idea of a landfill being placed up above me," said Pasco. "Something tells me we can't be doing things the way we used to."

The environmental assessment process looks at specific problems and ways to mitigate them but ignores how everything fits together, he said. "They don't have any way of looking at the big picture and the connectedness," he said. "This is important to indigenous people. There's a connectedness to everything."

The decision to extend the dump comes at a time when there are record low sockeye salmon returns to the Thompson River, Pasco said. "Something tells you there are things happening to that river," he said. The decline is a result of too long seeing the river "as a drain as opposed to a vein," he said.

"There are other ways to deal with things than digging a hole and hiding it."

Provincial decisions favour dump

The provincial government's decision gives Vancouver the opportunity to keep filling the dump for years to come, he said. He doesn't believe the city wants to keep shipping its garbage to the area, but the province has taken the pressure off finding an alternative, he said.

Vancouver, for its part, last year passed a motion saying it would stop sending garbage to the interior and has been seeking alternatives. It is expected to move forward a new solid waste plan next week that could see an increased reliance on burning waste and using it to create energy, a practice which raises another slew of concerns and may not win the province's approval.

And last year the province closed another option when it banned the export of garbage, saying B.C. should deal with its own waste.

The New Democratic Party's environment critic, Victoria-Swan Lake MLA Rob Fleming, said it's strange the province is banning the export of residential garbage at the same time as it's presiding over plans to import toxic waste, heavy metals and tar sands by products from Alberta for incineration at a Kootenay plant.

Fleming said the ban on garbage exports appears aimed at ensuring a supply to any new incinerators in the Lower Mainland.

It could also create a need for more capacity at Cache Creek. "It's odd that the extension is so long and the extending of the site is so great given governments seemed to prefer winding the operation down just a few short months ago," said Fleming.

It would be better to focus on minimizing the amount of waste produced, then making sure whatever garbage is left is disposed of in the most environmentally friendly way possible rather than worry about what country it goes to, he said.

Liberal donors likely to benefit

Continuing to ship waste to Cache Creek may turn out to be the cheapest option available to Vancouver, Fleming said. Eventually the city could make money selling power from incineration, but there will likely be large costs to get started.

If Cache Creek can keep Vancouver as a customer, that will benefit a company The Tyee reported yesterday has been a significant donor to the B.C. Liberal Party. Belkorp companies have given nearly $100,000 to the party since 2005, according to Elections B.C.'s donation database.

Former finance minister Gary Collins is a senior vice president at parent company Belkorp Industries Inc. and Premier Gordon Campbell's former deputy premier, Ken Dobell, is registered to lobby for the company on solid waste management, though the province's lobbyist registry does not say who he's spoken to on the subject.

Also benefitting from the status quo is Arrow Transportation Systems Inc., the Richmond-based company that trucks garbage from the Lower Mainland to Cache Creek. The company gave $91,000 to the B.C. Liberals since 2005.

Pasco said the tribal council will keep fighting the dump and when there's contamination everyone involved, including Metro Vancouver, will be held liable.

"It's a stacked deck against us but hopefully we'll get justice," he said. [Tyee]

Andrew MacLeod is The Tyee's Legislative Bureau Chief in Victoria. Reach him here.

27 Comments:

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  • Bob Watts

    2 years ago

    Need a New Dump site.

    The perfect New Dump site is located at the old Island Copper Mine site just 16kms outside of Port Hardy. It is one of the largest open mine sites in the world.
    It is right beside deep water, so no problem barging the waste, saving all those trips by trucks to cache creek.
    This mine removed one Billion tonnes of materials, it could now hold 1 Billion tons of garbage.
    http://library.uvic.ca/site/archives/featured_collections/esa/fonds_island_copper_mines/default.html
    After its been filled with trash it could then generate usable gas for about 200 years.
    But what do I know, LOL...

  • Bob Watts

    2 years ago

    Picture of Old Island Copper Mine Site

    This gives a good look at the size of this now closed open pit mine. What a perfect Dump site!
    http://www.robertsongeoconsultants.com/admin/upload/rockphto.gif

  • archwaybroadcasting

    2 years ago

    Garbage

    No one like the idea of having a dump any where near them but each and every one of us is responsible for the amount of garbage that gets dumped. There's so much that gets thrown away and we really live in a throw away society. It should certainly make people think more about what we're doing to the environment. Beth

  • Bobbi

    2 years ago

    Incineration

    Bob's idea is good, except for the distance. I can already here the high pitched whine about barges in the strait harming the view, the risk of spillage off a barge, the risk of leaking from the mine, the outright opposition to making the best of a neccessity.

    Why not copy Europe and burn the stuff? Ignore the spectacle that is Toronto's decision making process on garbage). Incineration has a lot of benefits. Convert the burn to energy, to make it as efficient as possible keep the burn close to home.

    Hmm, a major city having to live near the solution to its own waste problems, maybe they would be influenced to consume a little less. I bet most people in Vancouver couldn't find Cache Creek on a map, which is probably a big reason they are pleased their garbage goes somewhere, anywhere, so long as they don't have to deal with it after it hits the curb.

  • cboo44

    2 years ago

    Coastal Garbage pit

    Garbage pits on the coast have been rejected for very good reasons: RAIN. The amount of rain coming down on top of a large pit would almost instantly lead to leaching problems,(and NO GAS production) into the surrounding sea water. Does the Strait really need those problems? OR maybe the leachant would kill sea lice? Possible "win/win" ? Mmmm, maybe not.

    Cache Creek was chosen because of the extremely dry climate. The proposal to expand this site has been on the table for several years, we have the longest sitting environment minister, EVER. Aside from being a member of a despicable government, Penner is a very well and constantly informed minister. He cannot be "snowed" by people without solid facts. Chief Bob Pasco, on the other hand, has no facts. May I suggest that he would have more credibility if the people he represented cleaned up their own reserve, first? He can "Lead" them in those efforts.
    The above article is also very poorly researched when it comes to "uncovering dirt". Arrow Bulk Systems is no longer the prime haulage contractor of garbage for the City of Vancouver. Hasn't been for several years, which makes the other "information" also suspect.

  • Gary

    2 years ago

    Why Garbage in an abandoned mine?

    When contracts and permits were let for these mines there was a stipulation that they be turned back to as close a natural sight as possible. Not to be used as garbage dumps. Now that brings up another question/ Why has work not begun on backfilling these holes. Where are the environmentalists and for that matter the ministry on this problem.

  • Van Isle

    2 years ago

    As for the proposed dump up

    As for the proposed dump up near Port Hardy, it was shot down well over 10 years ago by the locals. Reason; why can't the people in the lower mainland take care of their own garbage instead of dumping it somewhere else?

  • Caelie

    2 years ago

    Just to correct one part of

    Just to correct one part of the article...

    The solid waste plan is being voted on at the regional level, not just by Vancouver. Metro Vancouver, formerly the GVRD, is the body that will decide on a plan which then has to be approved by the province.

  • Van Isle

    2 years ago

    I think it was about 20

    I think it was about 20 years ago Genstar had a wonderful idea of barging garbage from Vancouver up to the top end of Texada Island and dump it there in an old minesite. The locals thought that was kinda strange that Vancouver exports it's garbage problem instead of solving it themselves.

  • fanshaw

    2 years ago

    Get your facts straight, cboo44.

    Cache Creek is a dry area but it does get rain and snow which is why contamination from the dump site was found in Bonaparte Creek a couple of years ago. That is a fact and I bet Chief Pasco knows it.

    The Nlaka'pamux Nation Tribal Council is not one reserve; it represents several bands along the Thompson River (of which Bonaparte Creek is a tributary) downstream from Cache Creek. Why do you assume those reserves need cleaned up? How much toxic material is leaching from those bands into the watershed? Do you have any facts?

    It is also a fact that Cache Creek's mayor, John Ranta, was the provincial Liberal Party candidate a few elections back.

  • Bob Watts

    2 years ago

    Keep it Dry

    If we can spend a half a billion of a roof for BC Place, do you thing we can cover our trash to keep it dry? We have oil tankers from Alaska running the coast every day, so having a garbage barge, is what kind of danger.
    Burning the trash, will produce clean air? Should be great if you live in the Fraser Valley.
    Port hardy has about 2,500 people in the area, the next big town is Campbell River 200kms to the south. Dumping on North Vancouver Island will impact the least numeb of people in BC at the cheapest cost.

  • cboo44

    2 years ago

    fanshaw Get your facts straight, cboo44.

    Please read my post AGAIN and do NOT "assume". I did NOT state that Cache Creek does NOT get any precipitation! Cache Creek was chosen because it was THE CLOSEST & DRIEST place available. That IS A FACT and I have it STRAIGHT.
    As far as the reserves on the Thompson/Bonaparte are concerned, I have EYES.I can SEE. I LIVE THERE.
    I cannot IGNORE the mess that others can.

  • Skywalker

    2 years ago

    Van Isle

    "why can't the people in the lower mainland take care of their own garbage instead of dumping it somewhere else?"

    It is because they want to be greener than everyone else>

  • fanshaw

    2 years ago

    Nice try cboo44

    Now read my post again and realize that I didn't assume anything and most certainly did not state or imply that you said it never rains in Cache Creek.

    We agree. It rains in Cache Creek. And even though it may be the driest place in BC, it still gets enough precipitation to leach poison from the landfill into Bonaparte Creek and nearby wells.

    As to the state of the reserves in question, I have seen them too, and many others as well. They may not be pleasing to the eye but are they a danger to others or the environment? Why do you care what your neighbours' yard looks like and not care that they (and perhaps you if you drink water from the local aquifers) might be getting poisoned ?

  • Chris Keam

    2 years ago

    trash on the water

    Deep Purple's unknown masterpiece!

    Seriously,

    "We have oil tankers from Alaska running the coast every day, so having a garbage barge, is what kind of danger."

    The idea of a steady stream of garbage barges navigating the already busy and dangerous waters of Active Pass (near Campbell River) makes me uneasy. As does having those barges travelling through Johnstone Strait in such close proximity to the Robson Bight Ecological Preserve.

  • Chris Keam

    2 years ago

    Roofs

    "If we can spend a half a billion of a roof for BC Place, do you thing we can cover our trash to keep it dry?"

    The BC Place roof is a waste of money. I wouldn't use it as an example of anything except poor decision-making on the part of federal and prov. gov'ts.

    Let's put some roofs over people's heads before we worry about housing garbage.

    One of the easiest ways to kick-start action on garbage is very simple. When you buy a consumer item, if at all possible, unwrap it in the store and hand the packaging back to the seller. Since it's pretty obvious that business has the ear of gov't, put the problem in the lap of those with influence.

    Zero-waste isn't impossible, even if it is challenging.

    http://www.metrovancouver.org/region/tsr_tv/FLVVideoFiles/strathconazerowaste.flv

  • Chris Keam

    2 years ago

    better link

    This link may be better than the one I provided in the previous post.

    http://www.metrovancouver.org/REGION/TSR_TV/Pages/default.aspx

    (Episode 41 - Strathcona Zero Waste Challenge)

  • North of Hope

    2 years ago

    Chris Keam said,

    "If we can spend a half a billion of a roof for BC Place, do you thing we can cover our trash to keep it dry?"
    and
    "The BC Place roof is a waste of money. I wouldn't use it as an example of anything except poor decision-making on the part of federal and prov. gov'ts."

    Let's not forget that our "beloved" Premier Campbell was using his business savvy to help plan, finance and build this masterpiece of ineptitude.

  • farmboy

    2 years ago

    What happened to globalization?

    Pity the government has banned garbage exports. I thought globalization was supposed to free up the free movement of goods. If the GVRD could puree its garbage it would make a great back-haul for all of those empty tankers churning their way back to Alaska. Perhaps a NAFTA challenge of the no export policy could be persued.

  • alive

    2 years ago

    return to sender!

    I understand that there is a trillion empty containers sailing back to China regularily, why not send them back all the packaging from the useless shit they sell to us?

  • RickW

    2 years ago

    Wait a Minute!

    If Vancouver is planning on burning its garbage, just who will be shipping to Cache Creek?

  • Iwannajob

    2 years ago

    wait two minutes

    The Port Hardy mine site is a no-go because the hole is full of water now and raising fish! The Cache Creek dump is about as stupid as you can get except for the collection of the carbon tax! Gold River is the most logical for now and has the majority of the infrastructure in place from the old pulp mill. Incinerate the garbage and turn it into electricity, this will give the lower mainland a chance to study and build its own incinerator eventually. Gold River could also handle the garbage from most of the island where many of the communities are desperately looking for their own garbage solutions.

  • DavidN

    2 years ago

    Go ALIVE Go!

    Bang on. "Elevating" our lifestyles by surrounding ourselves with crap is quite the philosophy. Why can we sell packaging that cannot be recycled anyway? We are screwing ourselves by succumbing to the illusion that more stuff and bigger houses in which to temporarily store the stuff is the route to happiness.
    Too bad the Chinese would probably just dump the rubbish into the sea en route.

    I imagine the toxins from burning is nasty. As an energy source it is incredibly inefficient and completely unnecessary. WalMart is sort of a temporary holding pen for near-future landfill, maybe we should send it back to their head office.

  • Iwannajob

    2 years ago

    Or we could

    ....just tear the roof off BC PLace and dump Metro Vancouver's garbage in there and save all kinds of money. The Lions won't want to go back inside anyway.

  • North of Hope

    2 years ago

    Iwannajob

    I think the roof should be left on the stadium. It will be garbage soo (if it isn't already) so we will save time, money and CO2 production by leaving it there.

  • Bob Watts

    2 years ago

    Fish Iwannajob?

    They are raising fish in the old mine site in Port Hardy?
    They filled the open pit mine with sea water, then the top 50 feet or so is rain water, what kind of fish live it that mix of water?
    Anyway just pump the water out, and fill the pit mine with crap from vancouver.
    Port Hardy already has a garbage landfill site, so trash is already there.

  • DavidN

    2 years ago

    Prorogies

    How about filling the house of parliament?
    It composts BS and capital immediately, and is usually vacant anyway.

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