Composting Facility Turfed

Written by Peter McIntyre Tuesday, 24 November 2009 17:32 107.5 KISSFM

The BC government has scrapped plans for an animal waste composting facility in the North Okanagan. Officials from the Agriculture Ministry have decided not to proceed with facilities in Grindrod, Westwold or Silver Creek, saying none of the applications provided a viable solution. Grindrod resident Karen Dittloff was one of 11-hundred residents who signed a petition against the proposal, citing health and environmental concerns. "Every time we talked to the government about it they said they were just overwhelmed by the public's response in opposition to these compost proposals so it was the people speaking out that made the difference." The residents were concerned using the animal remains as fertilizer on farm land would get into the water system.

Dittloff says the decision is a relief, but perhaps not the end of it. "I asked them if they might be coming back to these communities again and the Ministry of Agriculture rep said if a proponent applies in future, we have to consider their application." A company called Interior Agri Solutions has been given funding to truck the animal waste from the BC Interior, to Alberta for disposal.