They’re already opposed to the construction of a new BMX track in their neighbourhood and now some Penticton residents are taking issue with the dirt being used to build it.
“We are very concerned about the toxicity of the dumping,” said Penticton resident Silke Otremba.
This spring, the City of Penticton approved the local BMX club’s proposal to build a track on a portion of Agricultural Land Reserve (ALR) land near Munson Mountain.
The land’s designation was changed from agricultural to parks and recreation and that’s been a bone of contention in itself.
Now residents opposing the track are worried about the loads of dirt being dumped on the site.
“This is farmland, why are they using it as a dump?” resident George Manz said.
“You look at some of the loads and there’s irrigation pipes, there’s plastic.”
Many of the piles of dirt being dumped at Munson Mountain are coming from Main Street near city hall.
The block is being dug up as part of the downtown revitalization project.
No one from the city was available for an interview on Friday but a spokesperson did tell Global News there’s no reason to believe the material being dumped is contaminated.
The president of Penticton BMX, Andrew Bayston, said he’s not worried.
“With 250 or 300 piles of dirt, I’m going to guess you’re going to find the odd piece of some debris that’s in there [and] when we shape the track that’s all removed,” Bayston said.
But members of a group called Friends of Munson Mountain aren’t satisfied.
Lauren Calancie said she’s taken samples of the dirt and is looking to get them tested.
“If they find the city has not complied with their standards, then I would like to see them pull the permit to have the park here,” Calancie said.
But Bayston said that’s not going to happen. The track is scheduled to open next spring.
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