Seeking solutions
I would like to make it clear that last week’s article [“Regional resident opposes new fuel-tank site,” March 15] was initiated by the Peak and that I, along with others mentioned in the article, was asked to comment on the effects of the new development with regard to our existing erosion and water-runoff problems.
I am not against development on the site at Stevenson Road. What I am concerned about is the apparent lack of due diligence by all levels of government and developers when new developments like this are proposed.
Not only has there been a lack of consultation with local residents, but there appears to be no consideration or solutions for existing and new development-specific issues.
In this case, these issues include existing bank erosion, managing of additional runoff, intersection traffic safety, monitoring of potential pollution of local wells and firefighting capabilities of hazardous materials.
It is in the best interest of all parties, including all levels of government, the developer and local residents, that due diligence is done in order to minimize any liability.
I have been trying for years to have my bank erosion and failure problems addressed by those government agencies that have allowed and are responsible for the uncontrolled water runoff and discharge. There have been no solutions provided to date. Lack of due diligence will continue to aggravate these problems.
As a professional engineering technologist, it is my responsibility to ensure any project I am involved in adheres to government and industry approvals, guidelines and standards.
Evan Ehgoetz
Stevenson Road
Owner pays
Us pay? No way! The Inn [“Council to debate Inn at Westview demolition,” March 8] was a going concern when the owner closed it and let it rot. Owner’s choice. Owner pays for the fix or is fined.
Jill Goudriaan
Marine Avenue
Excess timber
Rhetoric on log exports has ramped up since they were last discussed in the Peak [“Conference pushes green economy,” December 7,] and now I must speak.
Unfortunately, from the point of view of someone operating a mill in BC, our forests grow a variety of species with many different qualities (log grades) in any one stand.
However, BC mills are largely set up to manufacture only specific species and grades of log, usually the higher value timber species and grades. This results in logs on the market that either do not fit mill needs or are in excess of what the mills have capacity for. These are the logs that are exported.
To stop log exports would make it economically difficult to harvest much of our working forest and would mean loggers and sawmill workers would not be employed.
We must remember that BC mills always have first refusal to purchase logs that are exported and at significantly lower cost than the export price.
If and when there is a viable opportunity to manufacture this excess timber locally, mills will be built in BC. Until that time, we need a certain amount of log export.
Howie McKamey
Patrick Road
