Compost not a tourist attraction
To the Editor,
On Feb. 17, I took my visitor from Sera Leon, West Africa to the Duke Point ferry terminal.
While passing down Duke Point, my passenger got troubled with sudden wave of stench that engulfed us. Disarray of rotting, decaying stink hit us like a club.
I explained a composting plant is located here. It welcomes and gives farewell to anyone using the ferry. In addition, depending on weather conditions, it suffocates anyone working or residing in about a 10-kilometre radius.
I clarified to my visitor that this was a city plan, apparently successful, to divert waste from Nanaimo’s landfill. He thought I was joking and commented that Sera Leon city garbage dumps are flourishing almost like ours during some seasons. Though there is much less food waste overall.
On my drive back I was greeted with the same horrible stench. I noticed rows of steaming, wet mixture of dark, soil-looking stuff and white plastic or paper chunks.
Previously the unsuspected tourists were welcomed only by the stink of logs bathing in the river estuary and an occasional pulp mill’s whiff. The composting plant has added a new tourist attraction: agonizing awful stink.
According to a recent Regional District of Nanaimo publication, it is going to get even “better” with adding fast food restaurants waste collection to this chowder.
If industrial food waste composting was meant to increase stink levels and force citizens to keep home windows shut, it is doing exceedingly well.
Zlatko Zvekic
Nanaimo
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