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It takes more effort to illegally dump an appliance than use free services: RDKS

District responds to innundation of complaints, illustrating public outrage over illegal dumping
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The Regional District of Kitimat Stikine says every item in this photo, published in the Oct. 11 issue of the Terrace Standard, can be freely disposed of at the transfer station, or curb-side pickup.

The Regional District of Kitimat Stikine is responding to reports of increased illegal dumping in the Terrace area.

Megan Haley, RDKS project and program coordinator, says the senselessness of the pollution is highlighted by a photo of discarded household garbage this newspaper ran with a story on Oct. 11.

“All of those materials have a home. They can be diverted into a resident’s curbside collection — recycling, garbage or organics. This is a perfect example of where it wouldn’t cost a resident money to dispose of it, even at the transfer station.”

In fact, she adds, a lot of material being illegally disposed of, including scrap metal and large appliances, can easily be discarded free of charge.

“It’s free if you take them to the stewardship group instead of the landfill. So there’s no reason to illegally dump them when the stewardship locations are actually closer than driving them to a back road and dropping them off the back of your truck.”

A variety of stewardship groups exist in the area for specific items. The best way to locate the right depot is to download the Recycle Coach app. By entering an address, the app will also notify the user of thecurbside collection schedule and other recycling information relevant to their location.

Currently, construction material ranks highest among illegally dumped items. The district is careful not to point the finger at contractors, but says they speculate that it’s likely a mixed-bag of offenders.

“We don’t want to paint anyone with a specific brush, but that’s generally the type of material we’re seeing,” says the district’s solid waste services coordinator, Murray Daly. “Homeowners have to ask contractors where the waste is going…if you’re paying someone to clean up your yard on the understanding that the bill is set at a certain rate because of the tipping fee, make sure they’re attending the transfer station.”

Earlier this month, Terrace Conservation Officer Tracy Walbauer told the Terrace Standard that the amount of illegal dumping in the region “from Terrace to Kitimat and all points between is staggering.” If the situation doesn’t improve, he says B.C. Conservation would take the process to the courts to press for higher fines against guilty parties.

READ MORE: Illegal dumping pushes BC Conservation to the tipping point

The district is considering its options to combat the rise of illegal dumping, including increased enforcement and public education. A working group involving multiple agencies convened Oct. 24 to discuss current trends and solutions.

“There’s no silver-bullet answer,” Daly says. “There might be some misunderstanding of the fee structure at the transfer station. I think people see that $110 per tonne charge, but they don’t know how that works out in real costs. I renovated my deck this year and filled my truck with [waste] lumber and plywood and everything, and it only cost me $30 to get rid of the whole load.

“I don’t think people are comprehending how much a tonne of garbage would be. We have a minimum fee of $10, and that’s 200 pounds of garbage.”

READ MORE: Northwest super-waste system unveiled

So-called bag tags are also available for $2 per bag of extra garbage at curbside pickup. Residents voluntarily picking up illegally dumped garbage can receive bag tags free of charge if they provide a photo of the mess prior to clean up. The tags are distributed at the RDKS offices and City Hall.

It’s widely believed that incidents of illegal dumping increased two years ago when the district’s new transfer station went online and a new fee structure on regular household garbage allotment was introduced.

Daly said public complaints of the fees have dropped off significantly since.

However, issues still arise. One resident recently complained to the media that he was turned away from the transfer station when he couldn’t prove that the excess drywall from a home renovation project didn’t contain asbestos. He claims to have produced a receipt, proving the material was recently purchased and therefore free of asbestos as per today’s laws, but the attendant needed to see a stamp on the refuse, whereas none of the scrap pieces could display.

“If people are having issues or are being turned away, they can absolutely contact us at the regional district,” Daly says. “We’d be more than happy to figure out what the issue is.”

Haley says if the district hears nothing, they assume all is well.


 


quinn@terracestandard.com

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