City of Powell River officials won’t be able to dodge, much longer, the responsibility for clearing up old landfill sites. BC’s ministry of environment has included provisions in the revised solid waste management plan that require the city to prepare closure plans for the municipal airport site by 2011, Squatters Creek landfill by 2012 and the former waste transfer site by 2013.
Ultimately, taxpayers will shoulder the bill for the closure plans and remediation. City and Powell River Regional District officials continue to debate if money from the $1.3 million solid waste management reserve will be used for this responsibility. Rural directors argue the funds were put aside for capital works and the rural taxpayers shouldn’t have to contribute to facilities operated by the city, some before the regional district was even created. City directors argue city residents have contributed to the reserve and that it should be used for closure plans and remediation.
With a new directive from the province, it seems this debate might finally reach a conclusion in the near future.
