Composting facility has councillors fuming mad

Summerland’s site rejection sends RDOS scrambling

After once again debating the merits of different locations for a compost facility, the board of the Regional District of Okanagan-Similkameen was unable Thursday to come to a consensus.

Following extensive study, RDOS staff last year short-listed three sites for a multi-million-dollar compost facility that would extend the life of local landfills by recycling the region’s organic waste: a private property in Marron Valley, Summerland landfill and Oliver landfill.

The RDOS board immediately rejected the Marron Valley site, and proceeded with the Summerland option, only to have town council turn it down. The other contenders are all seen to have significant, costly challenges attached to them.

In light of the rejections, staff asked the board for fresh direction, but instead got another round of debate, followed by deferment, although some directors were anxious to get on with the process.

“Now I understand how these decisions are made. It’s a bunch of knee-jerk responses to local interests, one by one, until we’re left with no options except terrible options,” said Area F (West Bench) director Michael Brydon.

“This board needs to put its big-boy pants on and take some leadership with this.”

Penticton city Coun. Judy Sentes took issue with a lack of hard numbers related to costs if the compost facility doesn’t go ahead, such as shortened lifespans of landfills and increased methane gas emissions from decomposing organic waste.

“What the board is going to have to reconcile is that at some point we’re going to have to pay. If we don’t do anything, we’re going to pay. If we do something, we’re going to pay, too, so I’d like to know what those dollars are,” she said.

The board debated returning to the District of Summerland or the Marron Valley location or searching once again for another location, and Penticton Mayor Andrew Jakubeit even suggested reaching out to the Penticton Indian Band and their recently elected council to come up with further options.

Area D Director Tom Siddon recommended hiring an independent consultant to search for a new location.

“It’s going to have implications for the next 50 years or longer and we’ve got to do it right,” Siddon said.

With the clock winding down and a full day of meetings still ahead of it, the board voted to defer the matter for discussion at its next session in two weeks.