Industrial Waste Dump Facts

The local paper mill in Powell River BC, operated by Catalyst, is seeking to reopen the sealed off industrial waste dump directly adjacent to the long-established community of Wildwood. Following are details of the proposed expansion:

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1. Basic Industrial Waste Dump Facts
2. Health Risks
3. Dust
4. Leachate
5. Flawed Public Process
6. Zoning Problems
7. The Unprecedented Plan

Basic Facts:

• Catalyst proposes to build a mountain of industrial waste on top of an unstable highly toxic capped and unlined landfill in extremely close proximity to an established neighbourhood.

• Proposed Height: A massive increase in "flyash", (toxin containing residue from power boilers) towering 9 stories high! This would create the highest man-made structure in the Powell River area! (aside from the mill itself)

• Footprint: 15 acres, or 6 hectares, or the size of 10 football fields, or 3 city blocks.

• Location: The landfill is sitting on a slope directly above the dam on Powell River. The area has been assessed as “a relatively high seismic risk”. The landfill is sitting on a highpoint above the surrounding area. (see overhead views)

• Weight: 1.3 MILLION tons on top the old landfill, leading to possible groundwater contamination.

• Proximity: The whole community of Wildwood is in close proximity to the landfill. At least 7 houses are within 100 meters, a food-serving business is within 150 metres, a children's daycare center is within 300 metres, 90 homes are within 300 meters, and the local elementary school is directly downwind of the landfill. The community is zoned residential/agricultural, and there are at least 3 organic farms, and many other farms and gardens located nearby. (read more)

• The only route to and through Wildwood and all locations north, Highway 101, passes within 100 meters of the landfill and for over ½ kilometre is within 300 meters of the landfill.

• The landfill has a daily, persistent and aggravating impact on local residents and travelers.
        (Read more background info)

Health Risks:

• Flyash contains highly mobilized carcinogenic dioxins and furans. (Read about dioxins: 1 - 2 - 3 - 4)

• Flyash also contains silica dust that causes lung cancer, silicosis, emphysema, and asthma.

• Contaminated leachate may be poisoning local drinking water, and entering Powell River and Gulf of Georgia. (Read more)

• There is testimonial evidence of buried transformers in the existing landfill. PCB poisoning is a real possibility.

Dust:

• Despite remediative attempts by Catalyst, and claims to the contrary, dust continues to be generated from the site and from the trucks delivering the flyash.

• The company is now depositing the flyash in a "mini-landfill" next to the sealed original landfill, as a semi-liquid slurry which dries to a solid state. This is easily abraded to allow dust to be picked up again by passing winds. Also, once the moisture content is removed from this solid, it easily reverts back to a dust and returns to an airborne state.

• No testing on stability of flyash slurry has been done or is contemplated. Recent reductions to the amount of limestone going into the power boiler make the flyash slurry even less stable.

• Due to prevailing wind patterns, any dust from the landfill goes directly to the local neighbourhood. (This is already happening with the current operation of the "mini-landfill".)

• The proposed increase in height of 20 meters would have the effect of greatly increasing the airborne dust factor, due to added vertical surface area, thereby affecting many more areas including the Townsite. The elementary school in Wildwood is about 575 meters from the landfill — directly downwind.
(read more about the dust problem)

Leachate:

• Leachate is the toxic water that percolates through the landfill material after a rain.

• Massive amounts of leachate are escaping the site’s collection system. A large percentage of the leachate is apparently going straight into the groundwater, which drains into Wildwood’s source of drinking water, Powell Lake. It also drains into Powell River and the ocean.

• By law any leachate must be collected and treated. Yet there are about 20,000 m3 of leachate escaping each year. (Read more)

• There have been spills in Townsite, on Wildwood Hill and at the road that turns into the landfill. These are washed away with hoses. The slurry laden water drains into the river and lake.

• There is nothing to prevent Catalyst from burning contaminated fuel and dumping the toxic residue on the landfill.

Flawed Public Process:
 
• No public hearing has been scheduled prior to application submission, even though one has been repeatedly requested of both Catalyst and the Ministry of the Environment.

• The Ministry of the Environment has changed their policy: No public voice is allowed at decision-making table.

• There is no means of public input except through Catalyst.

Zoning:

• The landfill has Section 21 M3 zoning even though the dump is not on Section 21 land. The mill intends to apply for zoning change to expand even further.

• Part of the existing site has R-2 Rural zoning and is being used as a landfill. This non-compliance with local zoning has been known to the company since at least May 1994, yet nothing has been done to correct this.

• The City Council remains completely silent on this issue.

• There is and has been a repetitive conflict of interest: the City Council is in a business partnership with Catalyst.

• The City has a responsibility to protect our water in the river and the lake from contamination. Water is NOT excluded under Section 21 Zoning.

This is an unprecedented and irresponsible plan:

• Proposed 9 stories high, 15 acres, 1.3 million tons dumped on top of an unstable toxic waste dump sloping to the river, dam and drinking water supply, and sitting over fractured bedrock, so tracing contamination of groundwater is almost impossible.

• There are fixed-income, retired people, and lower income families living next to the industrial waste dump who can't move away. Many of whom have asthma and other health issues.

• It is an anachronism to have a toxic waste dump in a residential neighbourhood in today’s environmentally conscious culture, and with today's cancer rates within the Canadian population.

• Here is a famous quote from the CEO of Catalyst’s major shareholder:  “As for dealing with the public, and you may quote me, screw ‘em.”

• Our economic base is shifting away from a mill-centered economy. If we as a community allow this plan to be implimented, families from other areas would be less likely to move here, bringing new businesses and skills that are sorely needed.

Besides the flawed and biased Catalyst technical report, the main tool the Ministry of the Environment uses to decide this case, is your letters.  Your silence is presumed to be an approval of the landfill super-expansion!  Please write letters to any or all of these listed recipients.

• See Aerial Images