To the Editor,
Seems that most of city planning is directed by the needs of developers, rather than overall concern for the community. It pains city staff and bureaucrats to detect anything wrong with a developer sweet talking about jobs and prosperity to the community.
It took years of protests for Nanaimo city personnel to concede that the composting plant at Duke Point is doing a stinking job. Now the owners are asking from the city for an increase in tipping fees for each tonne of garbage taken at the site. And that is just to enable the operation to meet original contractual obligations. The unforgettable hello-goodbye stink continues to welcome ferry passengers and anyone that is unfortunate enough to work or live in the surrounding area.
However, there is now another situation facing Nanaimo. Metro Vancouver’s garbage incinerator developers are prospecting for a location to export garbage and burn it. Nanaimo should do what several communities have already done: back away from incineration.
For developers, an incinerator is a gravy train, but for the community and real estate it is bad news. Burning trash contradicts any recycling and reusing efforts. It does not produce either cheap nor ‘green’ energy. Most chemical toxins do not really burn away. They re-enter the environment as landfill ash, smoke, or vapours. Garbage in, garbage out.
Zlatko ZvekicNanaimo