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Murch TE, 87 News 085-2 ed 986-6222 Distribution V86-

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| Firefighters

| battle

blaze

in apartment

NORTH VANCOUVER city firefighters use their axes (o break in-
fo the roof at 133 West 13th Street Monday noon (left photo). A
fire pot into the false ceilings of the anartment building and the
roof had to be opened at the rear of the building. Investigators say
the fire was started in suite 10, rented by Chery! Wilson, seen
below surveying the damage to her bathroom, A plumber had been
working on pipes in the bathroom when the paper-back instaNation
was ignited. This is the third blaze in the past year to occur at the

apartsnent.

per Se
NEWS photo Stuart Davis

THE $15 million initial phase of a planned $45 million so-
dium chlorate plant expansion by Erco Industries in North
Vancouver received development permit approval at Mon-
day’s North Vancouver District Council meeting.

Erco had expressed concern in
February that the deadline for
completion of phase two of the
plant upgrade and expansion, as
originally proposed in Ereo's own
plans, could only be met under
ideal market. preduction and fun-
ding circumstances.

Ina report to council last week,
Mayor Marilyn Baker left some
room for flexibility on the timing.

“Certainty if the construction of
the desired phase two improve-
ments were well underway, and
completion/startup was scheduled

No one likes to vote in favor of
expanding the chemical industry
on the Narth Shore, bur we have
to face the facts of life — we can-
Not stop the campiany from ex-
panding,“" said Ald. Ernie Crist in
preface to the development permit
approval. “We have nevotiated the
best possible deal for the com-
munity.’

The “best possible deal includes
a condition within the permit that
all production lines be modernized
to remove all graphite cell techno-
logy by Dec., 31, 1991,

SESE SIG RUT OSE Soa ae ee

for a date — in the near future —
beyond Dec. 31, 1991, it would be
reasonable for the council to con-
sider the possibility of a permit
amendment.*’

The current graphite cell tines
employed in the production of so-
dium chlorate, produce # hazard-
ous graphite sludge. Erco is cur-
tently storing 100 to 140 tonnes of
the waste in steel tanks at the
Maplewood plant.

But said Ald, Bill Rodgers, “We
also got a cap on the on-site
Storage of the graphite mud. By
1988 there will never be more than
$0 tonnes stored at the plant. With
phase two, theyll have a year to
clear gut the stock and no more
will be produced.

FE eT BES ae en ae eo