If the current Metro Vancouver solid waste plan goes forward, all the toxic ash from incinerating garbage would be dumped at the Vancouver Landfill, warns the Wilderness Committee and Burns Bog Conservation Society.

The two groups issued a press release this week warning about potential environmental contamination to Burns Bog that would result from residual ash from a waste-to-energy facility, a key component of the regional district's new solid waste plan. They say approximately 150,000 tonnes of "toxic ash" could end up at the East Ladner landfill each year.

The groups say fly ash from the scrubbers in the Burnaby incinerator is taken to Cache Creek, where the process to neutralize it doesn't appear to be working as well as Metro Vancouver staff claim.

A 2009 annual report from Wastech, the company that manages the Cache Creek landfill, shows there is reason to be concerned about heavy metals and potentially other toxins being released from treated incinerator ash, according to the two groups.

"We need (Environment) Minister (Barry) Penner to take a closer look at what is planned before letting these toxins get anywhere close to the bog," said Eliza Olson, president of the Burns Bog Conservation Society.

The Vancouver Landfill would be the only landfill left in the region and would be the only facility currently in place to deal with the ash, which would grow annually, warned Ben West, Wilderness Committee Healthy Communities campaigner.

West, whose group is formerly known as the Western Canada Wilderness Committee, said he doesn't understand Delta Mayor and Metro chair Lois Jackson's logic for allowing the plan to move forward.

Metro senior engineer Dennis Ranahan confirmed the ash from waste-to-energy would go the Vancouver Landfill.

However, he said it wouldn't be toxic and the environmental groups have their facts all wrong.

"First of all, from the Ministry of Environment perspective, the ash currently produced from the existing Burnaby waste incineration plant is regarded as regular solid waste and it goes to the Cache Creek landfill. Some of that goes to the Vancouver Landfill, where ash is used to replace aggregates at the landfill," he said.

The environmental groups say new reports found that bottom ash from the Burnaby incinerator that's currently taken to the Vancouver Landfill, and used in road construction and landfill cover, show there may be reasons for significant concern.

Noting the groups did not understand the reports, Ranahan said the use of ash meets rigorous environmental criteria that considers potential health risks.

"I don't know where they would get the idea it is toxic. Their claim it would be highly toxic ash is simply untrue.

"It's being perpetuated that garbage is toxic and ash is highly toxic, which is not reflective of the fact."

The draft solid waste plan, which requires Ministry of Environment approval, would see a 70 per cent waste diversion from landfills by 2015.

Currently, the Vancouver Landfill takes in 600,000 tonnes of garbage annually, said Ranahan, who noted that amount would drop to around 100,000 by 2020.

The residual ash going to the Vancouver Landfill would be in addition to the 100,000 tonnes of waste, he added.

The City of Vancouver, which operates the landfill in East Ladner, voted against the draft solid waste plan.