Christina Lake Says No to Waste Incineration
Tuesday, August 25, 2009
I have just returned from an exciting and well attended public meeting in Christina Lake orginzed by the local citizens opposed to a hazardous waste incinerator purposed for their community and am feeling like not only can we stop this proposal but we can take steps to detoxify our environment and move aggressively towards zero waste.
It was a year or so ago when I first heard about this proposal along with the 6 other incinerators proposed for here in Metro Vancouver. Like most people I thought the idea of burning garbage for energy seemed problematic and at best too good to be true. Given the issues related landfills leaking toxins and the ever increasing need for space I was willing to listen to the folks trying to sell these "clean" "green" energy solutions.
In fact it turns out that these incinerators release dioxins and carcinogens. If that was not reason enough to oppose these proposals, the Christina Lake Incinerator proposal is a perfect example of how crazy this idea truly is. Burning hundreds of thousands of tonnes of hazardous waste from oil refineries is a bad idea anywhere but doing it in a pristine wilderness area known for tourism values is just absurd.
I began to understand how passionate the local residents of Christina Lake were when we helped them produce posters and flyers. One family even delivered flyers to homes around the lake without road access in their little boat. It was inspiring to watch this kind of grassroots activism. But it wasn't until I arrived in at the community hall to find dozens of local setting up chairs and preparing for the meeting that I understood just how strong the opposition to incineration really is in Cristina Lake.
When the meeting started I was happy to see the community hall, the largest space available for a meeting in the area, overflowing with concerned residents. Over 300 people filled the hall and another 150 overflowed into the parking lot and watched the proceedings over a live video feed we set up at the last minute.
Dr. Paul Connett, an expert we helped bring up from New York, gave an exciting presentation and worked the room up into an impassioned crowd of opposition (stay tuned for video footage). He not only articulated why these projects were so foolish but he also suggested how we could get serious about moving towards zero waste. He showed examples of how this was working in San Fransico where they have already cut down their waste by 75%!
Even though we had such a great meeting we need to continue to put the pressure on both our local and provincial politicians. The Wilderness Committee is supporting Patricia Ross, the chair of the Fraser Valley Regional District in her letter writting campaign to stop waste incinerators. The fraser Valley of course deals with much of the pollution created in Metro Vancouver. Currently Metro Vancouver is considering 6 new incinerator proposals. Together we can stop all of these projects.
Click here to write your letter to members of Metro Vancouver's Waste Management Committee.
In fact it turns out that these incinerators release dioxins and carcinogens. If that was not reason enough to oppose these proposals, the Christina Lake Incinerator proposal is a perfect example of how crazy this idea truly is. Burning hundreds of thousands of tonnes of hazardous waste from oil refineries is a bad idea anywhere but doing it in a pristine wilderness area known for tourism values is just absurd.
I began to understand how passionate the local residents of Christina Lake were when we helped them produce posters and flyers. One family even delivered flyers to homes around the lake without road access in their little boat. It was inspiring to watch this kind of grassroots activism. But it wasn't until I arrived in at the community hall to find dozens of local setting up chairs and preparing for the meeting that I understood just how strong the opposition to incineration really is in Cristina Lake.
When the meeting started I was happy to see the community hall, the largest space available for a meeting in the area, overflowing with concerned residents. Over 300 people filled the hall and another 150 overflowed into the parking lot and watched the proceedings over a live video feed we set up at the last minute.
Dr. Paul Connett, an expert we helped bring up from New York, gave an exciting presentation and worked the room up into an impassioned crowd of opposition (stay tuned for video footage). He not only articulated why these projects were so foolish but he also suggested how we could get serious about moving towards zero waste. He showed examples of how this was working in San Fransico where they have already cut down their waste by 75%!
Even though we had such a great meeting we need to continue to put the pressure on both our local and provincial politicians. The Wilderness Committee is supporting Patricia Ross, the chair of the Fraser Valley Regional District in her letter writting campaign to stop waste incinerators. The fraser Valley of course deals with much of the pollution created in Metro Vancouver. Currently Metro Vancouver is considering 6 new incinerator proposals. Together we can stop all of these projects.
Click here to write your letter to members of Metro Vancouver's Waste Management Committee.