Shawnigan Lake residents are threatening lawsuits and asking for a provincial commission of inquiry into the proposed dumping of contaminated soil from Victoria in their watershed.
A public meeting Monday on the proposal by South Island Aggregates drew hundreds of residents — all vowing to oppose the plan.
“People are furious. They were remarkably circumspect, being Canadians, but if there had been anyone to throw tomatoes at, they would have been thrown,” said Bruce Fraser, a director for the Cowichan Valley Regional District.
“But the Ministry of Environment was absent, the proponent was absent, and the Ministry of Mines was absent.”
Opponents of the proposal fear the soil could pollute local water sources.
At the meeting, one resident announced he would sue the gravel company for $250,000 if his water was contaminated.
The issue has united local provincial election candidates — B.C. residents go to the polls May 14 — who all spoke against the proposal.
“I think it’s remarkable that the Conservative, NDP, Green and Liberal candidates were completely unanimous in opposing the SIA application,” Fraser said. “I don’t know how often that happens in B.C.”
The meeting was chaired by Liberal candidate Steve Housser, who has described the planned dumping and bioremediation of contaminated soil in an existing gravel pit on Stebbings Road as “absolute lunacy.”
The Environment Ministry has granted a draft permit to South Island Aggregates.
The draft permit includes conditions related to acceptable material for treatment. It also stipulates air, soil, surface and groundwater monitoring requirements as well as discharge quantity and quality requirements, says a statement from the ministry.
After the public comment period — which has been expanded to three weeks from two weeks — the province will decide whether to issue a full operating permit, allowing 100,000 tonnes of contaminated soil to be dumped and treated at the site.
If the permit is granted, intervenors would have 30 days to appeal to the Environmental Appeal Board.
Fraser wrote to Premier Christy Clark this week asking her to convene a commission of inquiry.
“There are too many serious questions about this contaminated-soil application, both in the details of the intended permit and in the legislative system that prevents your environment minister from intervening in the public interest,” Fraser wrote in the letter.
