Delta has renewed its commitment to curb the smells and odours coming from Enviro-Smart Organics recycling operation in East Ladner.
Ray Robb, Environmental Regulation and Enforcement Division Manager for Metro Vancouver, appeared at council Monday night to talk about Metro’s air quality permitting process. Questions and comments from council following the presentation were specific to Enviro-Smart and their current application for an air quality permit, which Metro urged the company to apply for this summer following an uptick in resident complaints.
If approved, Enviro-Smart would handle a total of 200,000 tonnes of material annually.
Coun. Heather King said she was appreciative of Robb’s presentation, but at the same time, was also disappointed.
“I’m a bit concerned when I see that the way in which you understand there is an odour is through letters. We have people who have been writing letters for years and we have letter fatigue and if they just give up that’s interpreted as there is no problem,” said King. “People are writing letters and they perceive that nothing is being done. They are not seeing an improvement and they are getting frustrated.”
King then asked Robb why Enviro-Smart was not required to have an air quality permit when they first opened their doors.
“Legally they did. They were advised,” Robb answered. “It was simply a matter of did we have enough public interest to warrant it. For years we had very few complaints. We advised Enviro-Smart to get a permit, but they resisted. It wasn’t until we started going down the path of collecting evidence.”
King countered that it was too bad there was not better communication between Delta and Metro.
“Had I known that they were supposed to get their act together and get an air quality permit, I would have said get your act together and get an air quality permit so we could monitor you,” said King. “Delta’s stance is that there is no way we are going to look at any increase in quantity at this point. We want to make sure we have zero complaints. We want this to go away.”
Delta’s director of corporate services Sean McGill said Delta does not have authority through their bylaws or existing licenses to control air quality, but that staff is doing whatever it can to hold Enviro-Smart accountable.
“We have, since mid-September, sent our staff out twice a day looking at wind direction when we get the smells and forward all information to Metro,” he said. “It is not acceptable for us to have residents go through this, so we are proactively doing what we can. We have pushed back at Enviro-Smart wherever possible. It hasn’t made the change we hope for yet, but we will keep doing what we can do push them until we think the problem is resolved.”
The public will get a chance to weigh in on Enviro-Smart’s air discharge application at a meeting today at the Delta Town and Country Inn from 7 to 9 p.m.
Robb said the purpose of the meeting is to provide the public with more information so they can better provide informed comment.
He said Metro are several months away from making a decision.
“It is quite possible that requirements that are imposed based on that decision may take a while to implement,” Robb added. “At the end of the day I will make a decision that I believe contains all the requirements that are advisable for the protection of the environment, so that means providing people with good quality of air like they expect to have in Metro Vancouver.”
