A controversial industrial project is moving ahead despite ongoing opposition.
A large crowd filled Coldstream’s municipal office Monday as council voted 4-2 (Coun. Richard Enns was away) to issue a development permit for a pellet plant at Tolko Industries’ mill on School Road.
“The permit simply looks at the esthetics of the building, and does it meet the (district’s) guidelines,” said Mike Reiley, the district’s director of development services.
Many residents in Lavington are concerned that a pellet plant may impact air quality and create issues around noise, traffic and fire.
“The development permit does not relate to Agricultural Land Reserve land or if the Ministry of Environment has issued a permit to operate the facility. It’s not related to emissions,” said Reiley.
Pinnacle Renewable Energy has received Agricultural Land Commission and Ministry of Environment approval for its proposal.
Opposition to granting the development permit came from Councillors Glen Taylor and Gyula Kiss.
“We’re putting the cart before the horse,” said Taylor of residents appealing the ministry permit and an ALC review.
“There are a lot of issues and this (development permit) is the last thing we should be worrying about.”
However, other council members indicated that Coldstream’s process is not directly linked to those of other jurisdictions.
“We’re not dealing with the actual use. If the ALC comes back and says it’s not approved, it won’t go anywhere,” said Coun. Peter McClean.
Mayor Jim Garlick says that provincial legislation doesn’t allow a municipality to withhold a development permit based on issues not under its mandate.
In response to residents’ concerns, Coldstream council will ask the Ministry of Environment to install an air monitoring station in Lavington.
Officials with Pinnacle Renewable Energy welcome council’s issuance of the development permit for the pellet plant.
“The next step will be to commence construction in the coming weeks,” said Leroy Reitsma, Pinnacle president.
However, some challenges still exist as a residents’ group known as Lavington Is For Everyone is appealing the Ministry of Environment’s issuance of an operating permit to Pinnacle to the B.C. environmental appeal board.
“There is a strong reason to believe provincial air quality objectives have not been met,” said Geoffrey Nielson, LIFE spokesperson.
LIFE had asked Coldstream council to not approve a development permit until a variety of conditions had been met, including science-based evidence on emissions, completion of a review of the ALC decision to permit the land use and consideration of fire and explosion risks at the plant.
Resident Max Russmann urged the municipality to take action.
“You as council members have a fiduciary and moral responsibility to put citizens ahead of private profit,” he said.
Reitsma says he will wait to see if residents launch a formal protest of the Ministry of Environment’s permit to discharge contaminants into the air.
“If appealed, we are confident that the decision of the director to issue the permit will be shown to be the appropriate action given the strength of environmental aspects of this project,” he said.
