September 15, 2014 - 11:10 AM
VERNON - A proposed pellet plant in Lavington doesn’t have the support of the Vernon school district.
In a letter to the Ministry of Environment, board chair Bill Turanski
said the board received conflicting information about the project.
“The board’s primary concern must, in every case, be the health and
welfare of the students and if we err it will be on the side of
caution.” Turanski said.
The board held two meetings on the subject before sending its
recommendations to the Ministry; one to hear from the operator of the
plant, Pinnacle Renewable Energies (partnered with Tolko) and another to
get input from concerned parents and community members.
The proposed plant would go up beside Tolko’s existing mill near Lavington Elementary School.
Pinnacle president Leroy Reitsma told school board trustees there was little risk to staff and student health but parents insisted particulate matter, fugitive dust, increased traffic, as well as noise and light pollution would impact health.
A citizens group called Lavington is For Everyone (LIFE) collected over
500 signatures on a petition against the location of the proposed
plant.
Turanski said there were major conflicts with the data provided by both groups.
“The school district does not have the expertise or the resources to
determine the accuracy of the information provided in these
presentations,” he said.
“As a result, due to the uncertain nature of the information received,
the board cannot endorse the construction of the pellet plant
operation.”
The board is urging the Ministry to review the proposal thoroughly and
to ensure the safety and well-being of staff and students at Lavington
Elementary.
To contact the reporter for this story, email Charlotte Helston at
chelston@infotelnews.ca or call 250-309-5230. To contact the editor,
email mjones@infotelnews.ca or call 250-718-2724
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3 comments:
Interesting to note from the August 27th school board minutes that according to Pinnacle, "7 wood stoves in the Lavington area would have 13 times the impact that the proposed pellet plant would have in regards to PM marks (?)". Given this staggering statistic, if accurate, why would Coldstream or Lavington not push for a upgrading of wood stoves to higher standards or replacement with cleaner burning pellet stoves? Are there not assistance programs available at the provincial level? It seems like a no-brainer, whether the pellet plant is proposed or not..we all breathe the same inversion air! I scratch my head when I think of all the high priced staff , trustees and council , that this discussion has never taken place......time for some changes at the top.
It is a no brainer. That is why the Coldstream representative at the Regional District put foreword a motion that passed to investigate resurrecting the air quality committee to create a function that could initiate and manage such a wood stove exchange program.
I am for the pellet plant even with emphysema as feel enough measures in place. However, I strongly want fireplaces and wood burning stoves/heaters to be regulated. My neighbourhood has at least 5 homes in close proximity which belch out smoke from now until Spring. Walking outside is not an option during that time, nor is opening a window at night.
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