Composting location sought

By Jennifer DyckMorning Star Staff Jul 29 2007 http://www.vernonmorningstar.com/

With 11,000 tonnes of yard waste piling up at Greater Vernon’s landfill each year, and growing, the search is on for a composting facility. The North Okanagan Regional District is looking into options to either dedicate existing land at the Birnie Road landfill, purchase a piece of industrial land or lease another space. A request for proposals for such a space was actually made three years ago, but only one proposal was brought forward. Coldstream Ranch offered space at King Edward Road and Highway 6 for $5,000 a hectare per month. But concerns about the cost and impact on Coldstream Creek have put decisions on hold while more options are considered.

“They (regional services committee) thought with the O’Keefe Ranch that type of income might be useful for them,” said Nicole Kohnert, NORD’s manager of environmental services. One chunk of space being considered at O’Keefe is where the ranch is considering putting in an RV park. “We could probably just squeeze in there,” said Kohnert. At the same time, industrial sites are also being considered, such as the old Coldstream Lumber Yard on Ricardo Road. The three-acre site would cost approximately $1.3 million to purchase. “The other option is to re-organize the landfill up on Birnie Road,” said Kohnert. All options will go back to the committee for its next meeting in September. The project is still in its preliminary stage and still needs public consultation. There is a possibility that funding will be available. Kohnert expects the facility might be included in an upcoming announcement for funding through the Union of B.C. Municipalities and the gas tax of $1.3 million. “This is considered by the board to be a regionally significant project.”

With a new facility, Kohnert said the same yard waste materials from the Lumby and Spallumcheen landfills would be able to be chipped up and hauled to a central location. The chips could be used for various purposes, but primarily compost. There may also be an option of marketing the compost. Yard waste consists of limbs and trimmings and does not include compostable food waste, such as egg shells and apple cores. But Kohnert says another compost for food waste also should be considered. “In the future we need to look at that because that’s 30 per cent of our food waste.”