People living in the Columbia Valley area, south of Cultus Lake, are worried after truckloads of contaminated compost were dumped in an local field.
Neighbours of a farm said truckloads of what was supposed to be “Class A” compost were left in a field, but the material smells and looks “a lot like garbage.”
“(It’s) very questionable material,” said D’Arcy Henderson, a nearby resident.
“While it may look a bit like compost, what it is — it is basically muck. We know what compost smells like — this smells very toxic. The stench would wake you up at night. You can’t leave your windows open.”
Henderson said she was told the owner of the land was bringing in compost to nourish the ground for future crops.
As more trucks came, more neighbours became involved in a campaign to notify the province.
“They’ve had more than enough time. They need to be in compliance,” Shea Henderson said.
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“There have been no consequences from bringing this garbage onto the land.”
The B.C. government inspected and found the compost waste did not meet the required Class A specifications.
The company running the operation has been screening out plastics from the dumped material, and residents said on windy days that plastic gets blown around.
Despite an order from the government to stop work and remove everything it has brought here, Fraser Valley Renewables continues to defend the quality of the compost.
“Aside from foreign material content, this soil is great,” said Simon Thorogood, a Fraser Valley Renewables spokesperson.
“This material needs one more fine screening and it’s good to go. This (compost) came from a compost facility in the Lower Mainland.”
Thorogood said he was not able to say which exact facility the compost came from due to “contractual agreements.”
Fraser Valley Renewables is taking some action, saying it will be removing “non-organic materials.”
Local residents are extremely concerned with the region’s drinking water source as the area’s aquifer is nearby.
“This is our drinking water source and if it becomes contaminated or becomes toxic, … then what?” observed Taryn Dixon, Fraser Valley Regional District’s area H director.
The landowner did not respond to a number of phone calls. On his behalf, Fraser Valley Renewables said it is confident it will receive a non-farm-use permit to finish its job.
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