qathet Regional District (qRD) board has proposed additional borrowing of up to $6.4 million necessary to complete the build-out of the resource-recovery centre (RRC) at City of Powell River’s old incinerator site near Willingdon Beach.
According to a media release from the regional district, the extra funding is necessary due to two unsuccessful grant applications for the waste transfer station building, and in order to account for rising building material and labour costs.
Regional board chair Patrick Brabazon commended the RRC as a legacy project designed to provide responsible waste management services well into the future stating: “Sustainable waste management practices reduce pollution, create jobs, reduce waste transportation costs, conserve natural resources, and support a local circular economy. The RRC is the qRD’s top action item to address carbon neutrality in our organization’s operations.”
The release stated that qRD’s budget for the RRC remains on track. Closure costs for the Marine Avenue landfill site came in under budget and costs for solid waste management services remain comparable to other regional districts, the release stated. To save costs, qRD has incorporated existing materials on-site and will utilize $500,000 of Canada Community Building funding to support the project.
The release stated that extensive community engagement in 2017 revealed the public endorsed a one-stop-drop recycling and transfer station facility. Providing a one-stop-drop facility allows all available diversion opportunities through the source separation of materials, according to the release. The RRC will offer a central location for all residents and operators in the region to increase waste diversion and will create local social and economic opportunities, according to the release. The goal of the RRC is reducing waste to landfill through reduction, reuse, recycling and organics collection.
The release stated that all regional districts in BC are legislated by the Province of British Columbia to develop and implement a solid waste management plan (SWMP). The ministry of environment and climate change strategy approved the qRD SWMP in 2018.
The RRC is a key component of the SWMP’s stated goal of working towards zero waste, the release stated. To learn more about the resource-recovery centre project, go to qathet.ca/current_project/resource-recovery-centre.
