Residents in Steelhead are continuing to protest against a proposed mobile asphalt plant and, according to a written statement sent to The Record, they want Mission council to “reopen the public hearing.”
“If council approves Gord Hartshorne’s application to rezone his property to resource processing, council will no longer be able to regulate the asphalt plant. That responsibility will fall to the Ministry of Environment.”
It goes on to say asphalt plants are “known polluters” and are “poorly regulated in BC with some of the weakest standards in the country.”
Council held a public hearing at the end of December regarding a request for a zoning change for the properties at 11546 and 11596 Dewdney Trunk Road from the Industrial Resource Extraction Zone to the Industrial Resource Extraction and Processing Zone to allow for a mobile asphalt plant.
At that time, many Steelhead residents came out to voice concerns against the proposal, citing many concerns including air and water quality, environmental impact and more.
After everyone in attendance had a chance to speak, the public hearing was closed and council deferred making any decision until a new staff report came before them to address many of the public’s concerns.
However, residents in the area want the public hearing reopened so they can ask more questions and bring up further points.
“According to the 2017 Ministry of Environment Audit of Asphalt Plants Report, only 32 per cent of hot mix asphalt plants were in compliance with the operating requirements set out for them. Also in the report, the manufacturing of asphalt causes the release of particulates, greenhouse gases, fugitive dust and odor into the atmosphere,” the group stated in their written release.
The group wrote that more than two-thirds of asphalt plants produce more than the acceptable levels of emissions that are considered safe for human health.
“There is no way to ensure Mr. Hartshorne’s plant will not exceed the emission standards. Even if his plant was to make the standard, the District of Mission Forestry notes that Steelhead has a unique climate that causes air to be trapped because it is surrounded by mountains on all sides,” the group wrote.
They conclude that this “will surely result in higher-than-allowable levels of fine particulates and human health-threatening chemicals such as benzene lingering amongst us.”
They say they are also concerned because Steelhead has four working gravel pits adding more fine particulates – including silica – to the emissions that they say will be produced by the asphalt plant.
Dan Simon, chairman of the Steelhead Community Association and one of the people who helped draft the written statement, said people want to know what the council’s plans are.
“Council, what is your long-term vision for Steelhead? Recent planning has allowed new small-lot developments to come to Steelhead. Do you think new residents want to live next to an asphalt plant? Is it wise to expand INR-P resource processing properties into a rural residential neighbourhood?”
The release goes says that the Official Community Plan (OCP) states that the community vision is for a sustainable safe community that supports healthy lifestyles and engaged citizens.
“Clearly adding an asphalt plant would be contrary to the OCP, therefore breaking council’s own bylaw.”
The document also states “restricting further discussion with our residents, closing the public hearing, could hardly be called engaging.”
“The OCP also states, ‘We protect and nurture our green spaces, forests and mountains and rivers and lakes.’
“Campaign platforms of the mayor and our councillors promised to safeguard the environment in the decisions they make. Mark Davies pledged ‘to make sure the city takes an environmentally informed approach to all decisions’ – on the Mission Hotseat web page.”
READ: Proponent would meet with community
The document concludes with:
“We feel we are the community that the OCP describes – a sustainable safe community with a healthy outdoor lifestyle. Engaged citizens who merely wish to present our strongest argument to convince city council to reject Gord Hartshorne’s application to rezone his properties. The reason we chose not engage Hartshorne and his representative Tyler Dean at our hall was that it made no sense if council was not present. Even if we had found flaws in the plant design or the proponent’s stated business plans, we would not be able to express them to council as the public hearing has been closed.
“Council will choose to support the Steelhead community or choose to support Gord Hartshorne. Pam Alexis chose to close the public hearing and could also choose to reopen it. The residents of Steelhead need to engage with city council to protect our neighbourhood from this misguided plan to have an asphalt plant share Steelhead with us. Please reopen the public hearing. We deserve a voice.”
kevin.mills@missioncityrecord.com
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