News
10 January 2012 --Attended my first SCRD Special Infrastructure Services Committee meeting and got to see the players first hand. On the meetingʼs agenda was a presentation by D. Whyte, the SCRD Technician responsible for waste management. The topic was a "Financial Analysis of the Impact of Proposed Zero Waste Initiatives on Sechelt Landfill". It was your typical powerpoint presentation, repetition of information and endless spreadsheets, Mr. Whyte had done his work, not knowing his mandate one cannot criticize.
The current landfill pays itʼs own way, the “tipping” fees collected pay for itʼs operation, no tax dollars are involved. The long range plan as I understand it is to shut the landfill down and in the future have a transfer station where waste is collected, sorted and taken elsewhere.
As we reduce the waste we create and more is diverted to recycling and composting the amount of the waste arriving at the landfill is reduced thus reducing the revenue collected but still incurring the fixed cost of itʼs operation. There are also costs incurred in the eventual shutting down of the landfill for which a fund has been created and those costs are calculated in the overall cost of operation.
So the options presented were:
- Keep the tipping fees at the current level and incurred a deficit at the time of shut down.
- Increase moderately the tipping fees and over an extended period of time to 2030 achieve a balance budget.
- Increase in larger amounts the tipping fees over a shorted period of time and achieve a balance budget.
The option that was not presented was using tax revenue to offset the eventual loss of revenue.
The presentation gave the impression that there was no immediate time frame for the shut down giving dates like 2030 for itʼs eventual demise. Mr. Whyte is inside “the box” and as such he sees what he is mandated to see and report on. To come up with radical solutions or ideas is not in his realm, I am sure he is very knowledgeable and capable but I also know that there are other creative ways to the solution.
The board members asked many questions, some more insightful than others. I noted some definite concern about the environment from a couple of them which gives me hope. They seem approachable and if presented with information in the a respectful manner will take it into consideration.
So I am left with some questions:
- What is the primary purpose of the Waste Management Policy, to have us be a Zero Waste community?
- Why if the intent is to shut down the landfill are we extending itʼs use to 2030, why donʼt we do it now meaning the next 3-4 years?
- What is the SCRD doing to involve the taxpayer/user in the solution, what is being done to educate the user on the Zero Waste policy?
One of the Board members brought up the point that increasing the “tipping” fees increases the amount of illegal dumping in the forests. It may for some, but I believe those who choose to dump in the environment would do so under any conditions. They have no respect for their Mother Earth, they are the same people who throw their litter out the window of their cars for the rest of us to pick up. Can they be educated? Only with a baseball bat I think.
On this point I have been driving our backroads and noticing those dumping sites, now if I where to collect the old couch, wrecked car etc. as a public service and bring it to the landfill I would have to pay the “tipping” fee. Where is the incentive for a group of concerned individuals to do their part in cleaning up the mess of others. I think this needs to be addressed. There is a big untapped resource that is not being used, that of the concerned citizen the would be willing to make a difference but is not given the knowledge or the guidance on how to do it so we get apathy instead.
After the meeting ended I introduced myself to a couple of the Board Members who were very approachable, I look forward to attending more of these meetings and hopefully be part of the solution by looking in from outside of the box.
Rick Negus is a resident of Halfmoon Bay and will be bringing his perspective on meetings of the SCRD. You can reach him via This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. where you can sign up for his newsletter The Halfmoon Howl.