Up front: Deficit school budget gets minister’s finger wagging page 3 The big event: Community service honours take flight at Black Ties page 7 For all the news of the Cowichan region as it happens, plus stories from around British Columbia, go to our website www.cowichannewsleader.com Your news leader since 1905
Wednesday, May 2, 2012
Dirty trick with dirty dirt riles CVRD directors Contaminated Äll: Soil dumped in driveway sparks regional district to take action against dumping Krista Siefken
News Leeder Pictorial
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he ¿nal straw was three piles of contaminated soil dumped in a Cowichanian’s driveway. That’s what prompted yesterday’s discussion at the Cowichan Valley Regional District about how to block truckloads of ¿ll being driven into the valley daily. It’s been a local issue for years, but after the soil dumped on a south Cowichan resident’s property tested positive for contamination, the CVRD declared it an act of vandalism Bruce Fraser: and moved to take action. retaliation “The preliminary report indiAndrew Leong Marion Huff demonstrates how the Sticky Roller removes lint to Shona Chalmers and Joyce Carberry at the 25th-annual Spring Home Expo at Island Savings Centre this weekend. cated that the dumped soil was contaminated with salt and hydrocarbons,” said Tom Anderson, the CVRD’s manager of planning and development. “We are awaiting the ¿nal report from our technical consultants to determine how serious the contamination was.” Staff was also directed to perform a spot check of Sgt. Rob Webb reads. stop it from rolling again. Krista Siefken dumping in the south Cowichan region following Police say they received more calls about the An air ambulance hovered over the scene at News Leeder Pictorial the incident. They found there are as many as 1,200 vehicle for “weaving in and out of traf¿c at a high about 3:50 p.m., but it didn’t land as all patients rate of speed on the Malahat” as of¿cers were en were rescued, then sent to hospital by paramedics truckloads a month coming over the Malahat to 28-year-old Duncan man was held route to locate the truck. from four ambulances, he said. The Corolla’s driv- dump ¿ll at any of up to 11 sites, some unof¿cial. in police custody after being arrested That won’t come as a surprise to Mackenzie The vehicle was also reported for almost hitting er and one of the children were taken to Victoria at the scene of a Mill Bay crash that Brooks, who recently ¿lmed six trucks coming into the rock face at Split Rock before continuing General Hospital, while the other two passengers injured four people on Sunday. the Stebbings Road area with ¿ll, and seven trucks north. were taken to Cowichan District Hospital. Lanes Police say the incident is being coming out empty-handed, in a 20-minute span. “The driver attempted to pass a blue 2000 in both directions reopened at about 4:45 p.m. investigated for suspicion of impaired driving, “The trucks were going in and out of there like ants “Southbound traf¿c was rerouted down Mill driving over .08, dangerous driving, and failing to Toyota Corolla near Butter¿eld Road when it to a sugar bowl,” she said. slammed into the rear of the Corolla, causing it to Bay Road coming out at Bamberton, and northremain at the scene of an accident. Also following the issue is Jennifer Young. roll into the ditch,” police say. bound cars were rerouted onto Deloume Road,” The two-vehicle crash happened near ButIn fact, just hours after Young had been documentParamedics and the Mill Bay ¿re¿ghters arrived Miller said. ter¿eld Road at about 3:17 p.m., and injured two ing the imported ¿ll, the three piles of contaminated at the scene — about one kilometre south of ButThe truck’s driver, meanwhile, was taken into Courtenay women and two 11-year-old children soil were dumped in her neighbour’s driveway. ter¿eld — and used equipment such as the Jaws police custody at the scene with assistance from from Victoria. Shawnigan Lake Director Bruce Fraser believes of Life to extricate the passengers by removing the witnesses. Northbound traf¿c on the Island Highway was the incident was an act of retaliation against the Corolla’s roof. “The suspect driver attempted to Àee the accident rerouted through Mill Bay Road for about two neighbours of Shawnigan Lake Road who’ve Mill Bay’s deputy chief, Jeff Miller, said all paby driving his disabled vehicle away,” police said. hours while ¿re¿ghters and paramedics assisted publicly protested the high volume of dump trucks tients were conscious at the scene, and the injuries “The truck was only able to go about 150 yards and the injured, and police investigated the crash. on their street. did not appear to be life-threatening. could go no farther. The driver was restrained by “Saanich Police Department had received an “This is a case of gross intimidation and will not be “The car went off the road and into the ditch, witnesses until police arrived on scene.” original complaint of an erratic driver operating tolerated,” he said. then onto its side in water and brush,” Miller said People on scene also assisted the injured. a green 2001 Ford F-150 in their jurisdiction,” a more on page 5 of the crumpled sedan stabilized by a winch to more on page 5 RCMP statement released by Shawnigan Lake
Man arrested after dangerous driving sends four to hospital
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