Permit term is Shorter than company wanted
Metro Vancouver has granted West Coast Reduction a new Air Quality Management Permit. This means the company can continue to operate its facility at the foot of Commercial Drive.
A email today from Metro’s Environmental Regulation and Enforcement Division says the permit includes:
- A term of 10 years except for the two main sources associated with rendering, these two sources have a permit term of 5 years;
- A facility-wide restriction on the discharge of odorous air contaminants; and
- Emission limits for odorous air contaminants on the two main sources associated with rendering.
The company originally asked for a 15 year permit period. Metro Vancouver has not said why it went with the 10/5 year terms.
You can read the entire permit on the Metro Vancouver website.
West Coast Reduction has said in the past that won’t be increasing its rendering plant operations, the main source of the stink that we occasionally endure in East Vancouver. They say the new permits will allow them to increase operations at their two other operations: the production of feedstock for renewable biofuels and the storage of bulk liquids, manly canola oil. These operations don’t create noxious odours, according to the company.
Further, the company has committed to closing its rendering plant “during this permit term”. This could mean that the rendering plant will be gone within 5 years.
We’d hoped for a public hearing to better understand the implications of any new permit granted West Coast Reduction. Metro Vancouver evidently did not feel this was necessary.
You can contest this decision. Or as Metro Vancouver puts it:
This permit may be appealed by persons aggrieved by this decision in accordance with Part 8 of the provincial Environmental Management Act. Written notices of appeal must be received by the Environmental Appeal Board within thirty (30) days of notification of this decision http://www.eab.gov.bc.ca/fileAppeal
If you have any questions regarding this permit, please contact us at 604-432-6200 or by email at regulationenforcement@metrovancouver.org.
Or you just enjoy the odour dampening rain and hope for a stink free summer.
Notre Dame Neighbours 