Sep 02 2007 http://www.kamloopsthisweek.com/
Kamloops homeowners will be receiving a huge break on recycling costs, thanks to $3.3 million worth of gas-tax funding from Ottawa. Kamloops-Thompson-Cariboo Conservative MP Betty Hinton announced the funding Friday. The money will be used to purchase 23,500 blue boxes and 12 split-body collection trucks that can collect garbage and recyclables in one vehicle. The capital-cost infusion means that homeowners will now be paying $26 per year for the curbside recycling program, as opposed to the $42 they were set to pay before the announcement.
Mayor Terry Lake said the money comes from what the feds call the Strategic Priorities Fund, and is separate from the annual percentage of gas-tax revenue that Kamloops receives, which it then spends as it sees fit. The $3.3-million grant was applied for by the city. “It’s pleasant news,” Lake said. “We certainly weren’t counting on it. It’s a way of keeping costs down and it’s a pretty good savings for the taxpayer.”
As for the curbside recycling program, Lake said it will now begin later than anticipated — in December or early next year — due to a decision by the city to opt for 2008 engines in the vehicles. Lake said the 2008 engines include a “substantial change in technology” from the 2007 engines with respect to greenhouse-gas emissions. Kamloops residents now recycle 2,000 tonnes of items each year through the city’s various depots. That amount is expected to jump to 5,000 tonnes annually once the curbside program takes effect. The program is also expected to increase by four years the life of the city’s main landfill.
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