Marron Valley far more logical

So, the Regional District of Okanagan Similkameen has selected Summerland over Marron Valley, as the site for the proposed compost facility (Herald, Aug. 4). That selection is a mystery.

Water use: The proposed Marron Valley compost facility is near Marron lake. Water from Marron Lake was used for irrigation from 1910-1963 and is no longer used. The Summerland compost proposal is close to Summerland’s main drinking water reservoir, supplying 91 per cent of the community’s water.

Land status: Land between the proposed Marron Valley composting site and Marron Lake is raw undeveloped land. Land between the Summerland composting site and the water reservoir contains the Summerland landfill. This 60-year-old landfill is mostly unlined, subject to migration of chemical contaminants.

Contaminants No records exist of chemical contaminants at the Marron Valley site. There are 22 years of records of chemical contamination at the Summerland site.

Archaeology:: No records exist of archaeological sites at the Marron Valley site. The northern edge of the proposed Summerland site impacts an ancient First Nation’s trail. This trail was recorded by Archibald McDonald in 1827. He used the term “Indian Road” due to its frequent use.

From these points alone, the Summerland proposal should never have been short-listed. Yet the Summerland proposal was supported by the RDOS. Our RDOS representatives had better explain themselves. David Gregory Summerland