CAMPGROUND CLEANUP
STUDENT PLAYERS
News on the farmworkers front See page 4
TRUCKING MISHAP
SESS students performing in Cawston play See page 9
Close call for semi driver See page 11
Review E H
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www.keremeosreview.com PM Agreement #40012521
Vol.15 Number 48
Thursday, November 29, 2012
Serving the communities of Keremeos, Cawston, Okanagan Falls and Kaleden
$1.15 including HST
RDOS directors ponder revenue shortfall at Campbell Mountain landfill By Steve Arstad news@keremeosreview. com The regional district board pondered a budget problem over the Campbell Mountain Landfill at the November 15 Environment and Infrastructure Committee meeting. The regional district is looking at a $250,000 deficit at the landfill this year. There are adequate reserves to handle the lack of funding this year, but the board would like to find a solution to the deficit in time for the 2013 budget. RDOS Public Wo r k s M a n a g e r Doug French described the landfill’s present operating hours as a “Cadillac operation” with respect to the number of operating hours the landfill has. The regional district hopes to achieve a 73 per cent diversion rate in 10 years, up from the current
51 per cent. They are also looking at all avenues to increase the life of the landfill. A staff report noted that landfill fees in the Okanagan north of Kelowna are $80 per tonne while the S o u t h O k a n ag a n were in the order of $65 per tonne. Staff’s analysis of the revenue shortfall brought forward three potential options: - Reduce service hours (could reduce operating and wage expenses by 10 per cent. - increase the landfill capacity - increase tipping fees Board disussion centred around the issues of inconsistent landfill rates that might have the potential to draw people outside of their own waste sheds to use the cheaper landfill.The board also discussed issues surrounding high prices at the landfill and illegal dumping.
Photo by Steve Arstad
Braydon Klippenstein and Amrit Dhaliwal prepare soup (while Assistant Instructor Jody Carter looks on), as part of Similkameen Elementary Secondary School’s Cafeteria Program. The studies introduce the students to culinary arts with hands on experience.
Regional district gets funding for wood stove exchange Program hopes to change out 700 stoves Press release - Ministry of Environment The B.C. government is providing a total of over $192,000 in grant funding to 14 communities/regional districts to encourage residents to replace their old wood stoves with
cleaner burning models that will improve personal health and air quality, Environment Minister Terry Lake announced last week. The Regional District OkanaganSimilkameen will be one of the 14 recipients of the grant funding. The province’s goal is to have close to 700 stoves exchanged across the province in the coming year. Since 2008, the B.C. government has partnered with the BC Lung As-
sociation to run the Provincial Wood Stove Exchange Program. To-date, the B.C. government has put over $1.8 million towards the program, which has resulted in over 5,000 old wood stoves successfully replaced. There are approximately 116,000 older model stoves currently in use around the province that can affect the health of homeowners, their neighbours and overall air shed health.