A showdown is looming between Metro Vancouver and the City of Vancouver over the regional district's solid waste plan.

The district's board is to vote on the plan at its July 30 meeting, but it has already been made clear that Vancouver could be a stumbling block.

The city, which operates the Vancouver Landfill at Burns Bog, in recent months stated its preference to continue using the landfill rather than switch to Metro's plan to send garbage to yet-to-be-constructed waste-to-energy facilities.

The issue was front and centre at Delta council last week during a presentation by Metro Vancouver officials who outlined the new solid waste plan. Prominent in the strategy is a plan to generate energy from up to 500,000 tonnes of garbage annually.

The garbage would be directed to one or more incinerators, which would be in addition to an existing one in Burnaby.

Metro senior engineer Dennis Ranahan, accompanied by CAO Johnny Carline, told council that based on a consultant's findings, the waste-to-energy option scored highest in several categories.

A report to council notes the Metro plan would result in a utility fee increase of about $30 per Delta household.

Serving over 900,000 residents in a catchment area of Vancouver, Delta, Richmond, White Rock, the University Endowment Lands and a portion of Surrey, the landfill is a much cheaper alternative for Vancouver and Delta.

Vancouver council agreed to table an amendment to the Metro plan, something that doesn't please Delta Mayor Lois Jackson.

During the council presentation, she suggested Vancouver should be made to adhere with the new solid waste plan.

"At one point in time I actually stepped down from the Metro chair in order to discuss the question of Vancouver and the landfill and emissions, so I could speak on behalf of Delta. I think it's safe to say the City of Vancouver doesn't view the situation as we do," she said.

"My feeling is they probably will not be amenable to changing their system at the landfill unless required to do so. I do want the support of the City of Vancouver as we move forward. They are the biggest city in the region and they should be leading the way, especially with their green initiatives, but we don't see that reflected in the discussion at the board table."

Consultants retained by Vancouver completed a financial evaluation of various filling scenarios as well as an estimation of greenhouse gas emissions from the landfill compared to a waste-to-energy facility.

The report on the financial evaluation noted the preferred disposal option for Vancouver's garbage from a financial standpoint should be to "landfill at the Vancouver Landfill as long as possible."

The report also stated the additional cost of the regional district's solid waste plan, including the waste-to-energy scheme, can be in the range of $107 million in the best case scenario to $472 million under the worst case.

Meanwhile, the report on greenhouse gas emissions concluded that, based on 2008 waste composition data, CO2 emissions would be slightly higher at the landfill compared to waste-to-energy, but by 2015, when organic waste diversion and recycling targets are realized, the emissions from waste-to-energy would become much higher.

Vancouver council has also called on Metro Vancouver to seek an independent review of the impact of "mass burn incineration" on air quality and human health.

Noting he's concerned the Metro plan doesn't deal the Vancouver Landfill specifically, Delta CAO George Harvie said in today's world the landfill wouldn't be allowed to open.

He also questioned Vancouver's analysis of the emissions.

"There are none, it's actually an interpretation of what happens at other landfills at other locations in North America, and specifically in other climates which do not reflect the rainfall and the bog conditions we have."

Jackson added, "Delta has been very brave in saying we want to get rid of that landfill, we want to get rid of the methane and the CO2 equivalent. We dump for free now, but what we're saying is it will be in our backyard."

Metro's waste management committee decided this week to recommend burning the region's garbage through waste-to-energy. That recommendation will go to next Friday's board of directors meeting.

Even if Vancouver goes along, there's still another stumbling block in Fraser Valley Regional District, which has stated its opposition a waste-to-energy facility.

Patricia Ross, FVRD board chair, said she was disappointed with the committee's decision.

The Fraser Valley's opposition could prompt the provincial government to reject Metro's plan.