A Fraser Valley councillor is fuming over the regional waste management committee’s recommendation to incinerate more of the region’s garbage at a meeting on July 21.

"We’re very disappointed," said Patricia Ross, Abbotsford councillor and chair of the Fraser Valley Regional District. "Municipal solid waste is some of the most complex, toxic and unpredictable fuel on the planet and it makes absolutely no sense, to me, to incinerate it at all."

The Metro Vancouver Solid Waste Management Committee passed a draft plan by a slim majority of eight to five following several public consultations. Five members voted against the plan that calls for, among other initiatives, more waste-to-energy facilities to deal with Metro Vancouver’s garbage.

Waste-to-energy facilities may use biological processes or gasification, however, city staffers have focussed on incineration — the burning of garbage — as the most cost-efficient and environmentally friendly option, Metro Vancouver chair Lois Jackson said.

"The research and technical analysis that has been done indicates that many of the comments made, the juried comments, find that the incinerators that are the best and most modern, have very, very little in terms of emissions or concerns," she added.

Metro Vancouver currently uses one waste-to-energy facility located in South Burnaby to manage 20 per cent of its annual solid waste. According to Metro Vancouver, the facility turns 280,000 tonnes of garbage into steam and electricity each year. If passed by the Metro board, the new waste management plan will see the development of additional waste-to-energy facilities in the region to allow for up to 500,000 tonnes of solid waste to be incinerated annually.

For Ross, who also chairs the Fraser Valley’s Air Quality and Environment Committee, the Waste Management Committee’s recommendation to burn more garbage will have a dire impact on human and environmental health in the Fraser Valley.

"This is one of the most unique and sensitive air sheds in the world and we’ve got a problem with pollution already," Ross said. "We’ve been so aggressive in trying to reduce the pollution that we have and if they build these, they will reverse that trend."

Fraser Valley district board members forwarded a letter to Metro Vancouver detailing their concerns regarding waste-to-energy. Board members unanimously decided in late June to hold their support from the initiative. Other groups, including regional chambers of commerce and boards of trade, CUPE, Greenpeace, the David Suzuki Foundation and Zero Waste B.C. have also spoken out against Metro Vancouver’s garbage incineration plans.

"The shape and prevailing winds in the Fraser Valley air shed do not disperse pollutants…air quality is already a serious concern," said UBC professor Douw Steyn of waste-to-energy facilities during a lecture to Fraser Valley district members in June. "Incineration is a dangerous thing with many hidden costs."

Surrey councillor Marvin Hunt stands strongly behind the Metro Vancouver Solid Waste Committee’s plan to build a new incinerator to deal with garbage.

"I find it amazing that people are saying we’re going to kill everybody with air pollution," he said. "Metro has committed to reducing pollution – air pollution – in the Fraser Valley and if we say we are going to reduce, how are we a pack of liars?"

"There’s one million tonnes of garbage to deal with when we get to 70 per cent diversion and the garbage isn’t going to disappear," he added. "It is coming and we are going to have to deal with it."

Lois Jackson also expressed her support for the waste-to-energy facilities.

"I’m really hoping that people will get past the emotional politicization of the issue," she said.

"We need to look at what the science is and talk about what we’re going to do in the future as far as the proven technology is concerned," she added.

Metro Vancouver board members will consider the draft Solid Waste Management plan for more waste-to-energy facilities at a meeting July 30. If passed by the board, the plan will move to environment minister Barry Penner for approval.

Niamh Scallan is completing a practicum at The Tyee