LETTER: Christina Lake residents challenge RDKB to ban Aquilini from further attempts at re-zoning
By Contributor
Aquilini Renewable Energy failed to meet the Regional District of Kootenay Boundary’s (RDKB) deadline for the company’s Christina Lake rezoning application. Although they submitted a feeble “technical report” at the last minute, Aquilini did not follow the RDKB’s directive to meet with the community by Mar. 11.
Barring a last minute ploy by Aquilini, the Area Planning Commission (APC) and RDKB will in all likelihood reject Aquilini’s latest “throw away” application. However, we fear that Aquilini will reapply, only to throw our community back into the turmoil we’ve been enduring for the last year and a half.
In light of the following, we ask the RDKB to refuse any future similar applications from Aquilini or any other company that proposes a gasification factory for Christina Lake.
• Aquilini’s continuing show of bad faith by not meeting with the community since 2008;
• the clear and abundant scientific evidence that a hazardous waste factory would be detrimental to our economy, environment and health;
• the fact that our Official Community Plan (OCP) did not anticipate industrial land use and activities of the kind associated with the gasification factory proposed by Aquilini Renewable Energy;
Although there is often mention of “due process” when local governments receive applications, research into local government administration indicates that the RDKB could easily decide to adopt a policy that directs staff to reject certain applications out of hand. And it is quite proper for the RDKB to reject a follow-up application on the grounds that the principles of the proposed land use have already been considered and rejected, and that the board is not prepared to reconsider the matter.
Accordingly we request the RDKB board to consider the following resolution:
Whereas neither the community vision nor industrial goal, objectives, and policies incorporated in Official Community Plan (OCP), RDKB Bylaw No. 1250, 2004, contemplate manufacturing or processing activities of an industrial nature, scope, or scale, and
Whereas consideration for such land use or activities must be preceded by a comprehensive review of the community’s overall vision and values to ensure that all land use goals, objectives, and policies are contained within the framework of the community’s overall vision and values,
Be it resolved that the RDKB will not accept any land use, rezoning, or OCP amendment application in support of any kind of development of a manufacturing or processing facility of an industrial nature, scope, or scale pending the conclusion a comprehensive review of the OCP and the adoption of a new OCP for Area C.
With such a policy, RDKB staff would be authorized to refuse any application like Aquilini’s at the outset, returning any application received together with the cheque for the fee.
This is a reasonable community request to the RDKB. Such a resolution would protect our community from future gasification/petroleum plant applications. Without such protection, we fear that this nightmare will recur. Therefore, until the RDKB implements a satisfactory policy resolution, our guards and our No Hazardous Waste for Christina Lake signs will stay up.
At 7:00 PM on Tuesday, Apr. 6, at the Christina Lake Community Hall, the Christina Lake APC will review Aquilini’s information and make recommendations to the RDKB. Come to the rally before the meeting at 6:30 and add your voice to the chorus of Kootenay Boundary residents exclaiming NO to the waste gasification industry.
Respectfully submitted,
Richard White,
Protect Christina Lake Chairperson
Box 445 Christina Lake BC V0H 1E0 Phone: 250 447 6261
