Metro Vancouver’s plans for garbage incineration don’t seem to be generating as much heat in Gibsons as they have in Nanaimo.
A site near Port Mellon (outside Town jurisdiction, but not far away) is being considered for Metro’s waste-to-energy plant. Last month, Nanaimo Council told Metro to take Duke Point out of the running.
Council voted Tuesday to push for a public meeting once Metro has a list of all the potential sites, but they aren’t taking a stand for or against the project.
Town staff say decisions are a long way off, and there’s a better chance of a “more meaningful” conversation once there’s more information. Both Mayor Wayne Rowe and Councillor Dan Bouman pointed to developments that could end up derailing Metro’s plan.
They’re also urging Metro to work with the Ministry of the Environment to set up air quality monitoring stations on the Sunshine Coast to get baseline data.
Councillor Lee Ann Johnson says it’s a chance to get something the area has needed for years.
The only monitoring station in the area right now is in Langdale. It was set up to track emissions from Howe Sound Pulp and Paper.
