Bags of garbage that littered White Rock’s West Beach for several weeks were removed last week by city crews, without the help of railway officials.
The debris was first spotted Feb. 16 by a passerby who notified the city via social media. City officials told Peace Arch News last month the removal would need to be co-ordinated with Burlington Northern Santa Fe due to the waste’s proximity to the train tracks, and attributed the more than three week delay to ongoing co-ordination efforts.
BNSF spokesperson Gus Melonas confirmed last week that removing the garbage would require the railway’s involvement due to the proximity to the tracks and that it was expected to take place last Friday.
However, in an email to PAN Wednesday afternoon, a city official said the garbage was removed from the beach without BNSF’s help.
“Because (the bags) were a far enough distance from the tracks, the city picked up the garbage from the water side with an electric vehicle.”
