Dump pile near Penticton prompts concerns about public health, fire hazard

2:00 Dump pile near Penticton prompts concerns about public health, fire hazard

A pile of waste near Penticton is out of control, according to its neighbours.

Appleton Waste Services is under criticism for its massive piles of construction and demolition waste in its yard, which is on Penticton Indian Band land.

Owner David Appleton acknowledged in an email that the waste pile is unsightly but said the company has a plan to address it.

“The material is safe, and we have conducted an inspection with WorkSafe confirming we are getting the proper inspections of material,” he said, adding that the company had started sorting and recycling construction and demolition material because of dramatically increased disposal rates within the south Okanagan.

Get daily National news

Get the day's top news, political, economic, and current affairs headlines, delivered to your inbox once a day.

Sign up for daily National newsletter Sign Up

By providing your email address, you have read and agree to Global News' Terms and Conditions and Privacy Policy.

All material on site is non-hazardous and over 90 per cent of it will be recycled, he said.

“We encountered a number of mechanical issues late last year which have led to the backlog of material,” Appleton wrote. “In response, we have purchased an additional $250,000 in equipment in the past month which has tripled our capacity. The pile will be eliminated quickly with this additional capacity.”

The company leases the land from Adam Eneas, who lives across the street. He declined an interview, but sent a letter in February to address concerns by band members.

In the letter, Eneas said he has been working with Appleton Waste to meet Canadian safety standards.

“This mountain of waste that has accumulated over some time are from local construction sites that require an inspection of the material before it is sent to Appleton Waste site (Green Mountain Road) for sorting and shipping,” Eneas wrote.

One of the transport trucks broke down, but Appleton had purchased another truck, according to the letter. “The height of the waste will significantly be reduced withing the next two months,” Eneas wrote. The letter was dated February 16.

It also mentioned that further testing would be conducted on the site.

Appleton Waste Services is also embroiled in a lawsuit filed by the Regional District of Okanagan Similkameen over alleged unpaid dumping fees at local landfills totalling $147,000.

Appleton said his company will file a counter-suit soon.

—with files from Shelby Thom