New Westminster mayor Wayne Wright, Delta Mayor Lois Jackson, Vancouver councillor Andrea Reimer, Port Moody councillor Rick Glumac (back to camera) at Zero Waste committee meeting.

Two outspoken members of Metro Vancouver’s Zero Waste Committee were on the attack Thursday at the committee’s March meeting, this time about being kept in the dark about a plan to handle garbage in the neighbouring Fraser Valley Regional District.

“If we are inviting people from Fraser Valley to speak to us about their plan, it would be helpful to have some material that we could comment on,” said Vancouver councillor Andrea Reimer. “The plan must have been analysed by Metro Vancouver staff at some point.”

Vancouver councillor Andrea Reimer at Zero Waste Com. meeting. Mychaylo Prystupa photo.

“Metro Vancouver staff has been involved in this process since 2009,” said Port Moody councillor Rick Glumac. “We sent staff out to the Valley on consultations. I don’t understand why, after the fact, we’re saying we need to look at this. Why didn’t that happen earlier?”

The Fraser Valley Regional District recently completed its comprehensive solid waste plan to handle the region’s future garbage. It calls for aggressive recycling and waste diversion of up to 90 per cent by 2024, more recovery facilities to sort through garbage to remove recyclable material, eventual closing down of landfills and no incineration. The plan has been sent to the minister of environment for approval.

Chilliwack councillor and Fraser Valley Regional District director Jason Lum at Metro Vancouver Zero Waste Committee meeting.  Mychaylo Prystupa photo.

At the Thursday afternoon meeting, Lum faced criticism from Burnaby mayor Derek Corrigan who complained that Fraser Valley inviting comment on the plan now is like “slamming the barn door after the cows have gotten out”.

Corrigan also complained that neither the chair nor deputy-chair of FVRD saw fit to appear before Metro Vancouver to explain their new plan.

He says when Metro Vancouver officials went to the Fraser Valley to explain its solid waste plan "it was no easy ride to go in and talk about our plan. We had the courage to step up and speak to people in the Fraser Valley."

Committee chair Malcolm Brodie was also critical, saying Metro Vancouver made concerted efforts to listen to people in the Fraser Valley about its solid waste plan.

“Our chair went out to dozens of different consultations. When the Fraser Valley Regional District pass us their (plan), they send us a letter. They don’t even come here until we ask for it. So you tell me, who is really consulting people and letting their voices be heard?”

“You approved and submitted the plan to Victoria and now you’re taking the step to consult with us as a concerned neighbour,” Brodie fired at Lum.

Zero Waste Committee chair Malcolm Brodie.  Mychaylo Prystupa photo.

Lum says Metro Vancouver staff was officially informed about the plan in 2011, and input was requested then.  According to Metro Vancouver solid waste manager Paul Henderson, staff did receive an official letter in the fall of 2013 after the draft plan was posted on the FVRD website. Zero Waste chair Malcolm Brodie was informed and the decision was made then to invite representatives to present to the Zero Waste Committee in March. By that time, FVRD had approved the plan and sent it to Victoria.

“It surprises me a little,” Lum said afterward in an interview with the Vancouver Observer. “We started work on this plan in 2005, and it is by no means something that transpired overnight. I do feel they were given lots of notification on this.”

Malcolm Brodie asked Lum, “What is your thought to withholding approval of the plan until we can review it?” to which councillor Rick Glumac responded “I feel bad if we have to ask the minister to delay the plan when we’ve had several months to consider it.”

Councillors passed a motion requesting the Fraser Valley representatives to request the minister delay  approval, and Metro Vancouver staff was directed to analyse the plan and provide input to the board.

Regional tensions

There has been growing tension between the two regional authorities over a number of issues recently. Most notably, Fraser Valley Regional District - and all of the Vancouver councillors - are opposed to Metro Vancouver’s long-range solid waste plan that includes plans to build one, and possibly two, new incinerators on top of the existing one in Burnaby. Fraser Valley launched a very public TV and radio ad campaign against it last fall and made it clear that incineration was never considered for their plan.

“We did extensive study in terms of mass burn incineration and our air shed and every single credible source came back and told us that is the worst possible solution to deal with solid waste,” said Lum.

The controversial incineration plan forced the province to step in and order Metro Vancouver to consult with Fraser Valley over air quality concerns. Those consultations are currently bogged down in disputes but Malcolm Brodie made it clear after the meeting that Metro Vancouver is standing firm on its plan.

“What I will say is that the decision has been made to have waste-to-energy (incineration). Those who are opposed...they're entitled to their opinion. But the decision has been made that it will be a waste-to-energy solution." 

Metro Vancouver, on the other hand, has been upset with Fraser Valley for allowing open burning in the region, and at the meeting complained that Fraser Valley continues to ship garbage out of the region and across the border to a landfill site in Washington State.

Burnaby mayor Derek Corrigan speaking at Zero Waste Committee meeting.  Mychaylo Prystupa photo.

“This is an issue that is very important,” said Derek Corrigan. “Land filling has been banned here and the reality is in my city we desperately want to close the Vancouver landfill and the Cache Creek landfill eventually. Landfills leach and release toxic chemicals, and the fact it’s happening in Cache Creek and Washington is not alright.”

The province tried several years ago to ban garbage from crossing the border, but under North American Free Trade (NAFTA) rules it is permitted.

“The ministry of environment is opposed to this and we appreciate the spirit of opposition to sending our garbage into someone else’s neighbourhood,” said Corrigan. “Passing garbage on to someone else is not a solution.”

Metro Vancouver’s new plan includes waste prevention, reduction and re-use strategies and a recycling target of 80 per cent by 2020.  A new ban on organics is also scheduled to begin this year. However even with those initiatives, Metro Vancouver says there is still a need for an incinerator.