Compost plan draws crowd

Richard Rolke - Vernon Morning Star Published: August 27, 2009 6:00 PM

Extreme differences of opinion are driving the debate around a proposed animal waste composting facility in Grindrod. A large crowd jammed into Grindrod Elementary Wednesday to debate the plan for a Monks Road farm.“Our fears about health and the environment are apparent after this meeting,” said Karen Dittloff, spokeswoman for a group of concerned citizens.Dittloff doesn’t believe there was sufficient evidence from government officials that composting is safe, and that monitoring will be sufficient. “They fumbled around. They weren’t even sure of their own regulations,” she said.If the facility is approved by the Ministry of Agriculture, the waste would be collected from slaughterhouses and retail stores, and the compost would be spread on the farm as fertilizer.Some residents claim waterways and adjacent land could be contaminated by waste containing antibiotics. They are also concerned about animal attractants and odours coming from the facility.

Dittloff says the five-hour meeting was poorly handled.“They did allow some people to voice their concerns but there was little time for questions,” she said.However, the applicant for the facility defends the process. “There is a group of people who don’t want to hear anything. The issues were addressed and there will be no pollution,” said Dave Robertson, who owns the farm.“There is no reason to hold the project up. The guys on the government team thought it went well.”Robertson says there were also people present who support the facility and believe it is essential for agricultural operations.“We have to do something with waste. We can’t keep sweeping it out of the province.”

But opinions are so split, that both sides can’t agree on how many people were in attendance.Dittloff insists there were more than 200 people present, but Robertson claims there were between 150 and 160, with many of them from out of town.“There were probably only 50 people from Grindrod that will be affected directly or indirectly,” he said.The Ministry of Agriculture is expected to decide later this year on the future of the proposal, but that may still not be the end of the matter.Opponents to the plant are trying to raise money for legal action.“We are looking at pursuing that if a decision is made for the facility to go ahead. But we hope the government will listen to the residents,” said Dittloff.