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Letter: Salmon Arm landfill expansion should not proceed

Starting to dump garbage near the Salmon Arm Airport and nearby residences was a poor choice in the 1960s or 70s but standards were different then.
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An image of the proposed landfill expansion in Salmon Arm.-Image credit: Photo contributed. The timeline on a proposal to purchase a 20-acre property to extend the Salmon Arm landfill has been delayed for five months.-Image credit: Photo contributed.

Starting to dump garbage near the Salmon Arm Airport and nearby residences was a poor choice in the 1960s or 70s but standards were different then.

Fast forward to 2018 and the CSRD is proposing to expand the Salmon Arm landfill by purchasing a 20-acre parcel adjacent to the current site and expanding the landfill onto that site. They have announced that $750,000 is the purchase price but that is only the beginning. Add PST, GST, land transfer tax, 40th St SE upgrade (estimated at $600,000 to 700,000) a few other bells and whistles (as there always is) and CSRD will be spending roughly $2 million on this adventure.

It is now 2018 and we have much higher standards today. BC Ministry of Environment Landfill Criteria for Municipal Solid Waste was released June, 2016. Section 2.0 application states: “The criteria are intended to provide guidance to landfill owners and operators, qualified professionals and ministry staff for the development, operation and authorization of municipal solid waste landfills, and recommend a straightforward path for proponents to follow to establish and operate existing, expanded and new landfills in a manner reflecting the latest standards for environmental protection.”

Section 3.1 land use states: “The landfill footprint must not be located within 500 metres of an existing or planned sensitive land use. Sensitive land uses include but are not limited to: schools, residences…”

We, the 40th St. SE Neighbourhood Alliance, have identified 17 residences that would be less than the 500-metre setback.

The CSRD’s expansion proposal flies in the face of the BC Ministry of Environment landfill criteria. This proposal should not proceed and the money should be spent on finding another location and moving this landfill out of town and away from residences. In 2018, we should know better.

Howard Williamson