Richmond News November 16 2016

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What’s inside:

WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 16, 2016 n Veteran Trooper Don Shale reflects on sacrifices made at the Remembrance Day ceremonies at Richmond City Hall. Below, Richmond cadets march in honour of those who have fallen. See more photos page 20. Photos by Rob Newell/Special to the News

NEWS: Mayor and chief librarian at odds again over funding cuts 4

COMMUNITY: Diamond returns for her annual 17 holiday concert

City does about-face on appeal

Some residents call for boycott of food scrap bins to reduce stink Graeme Wood

Staff Reporter gwood@richmond-news.com

T

he City of Richmond has done an about-face and decided it wants to join the appeal process of Harvest Power’s new air quality permit. However, it is now at the mercy of the provincial Environmental Appeal Board to approve its application considering the deadline has passed. “The Board’s decision whether to allow the city to gain any status (party or participant) in the appeal is highly discretionary

and it may be that our request is denied,” stated a report to Richmond city council Monday night, after staff and councillors drafted the appeal proposal behind closed doors earlier in the day. Prior to Monday, council had determined it would not appeal the permit issued by Metro Vancouver to the waste-to-energy and compost facility. Mayor Malcolm Brodie said an appeal would have delayed new work to mitigate the noxious odours, which are now resulting in daily complaints from residents. To date, 25 appeals have been submitted, including one by

Harvest Power, which is opposed to some of the permit’s enforcement measures. At the council meeting at Richmond City Hall, resident Jim Tinson said the odours and volatile organic compounds being emitted from the compost facility will become an election issue if the matter isn’t resolved, and quickly. “It just has to be closed down. Really, we’re subject to an experiment and the experiment is failing,” said Tinson, who, among others, is calling on residents to stop putting their food scraps in the green bins and divert them

away from the facility. The city has a contract with Harvest Power that expires June, 2019. Details of this contract appear to be sparsely known, even amongst councillors. “Are we obligated to send our (organic) waste to Harvest Power?” asked Coun. Harold Steves. “We currently have a contract,” replied John Irving, Richmond’s director of engineering, who tabled the report to council. At one point, Brodie stopped staff from revealing too many contract details, for legal reasons. See McNulty page 3

THEATRE Math THEATRE: M h meets the stage in Gateway's new Studio show 19

SPORTS Wildcats Wild SPORTS: among volleyball champions 22

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