ARTISTS FOR trees: Mandy Sword pauses for thought while
she paints the woods at Cypress Ridge. On Friday, Sword and
approximately 10 other B.C. artists went into the 350-acre area

’ Take a daytrip
to Vancouver
SPECIAL FEATURE: 19

proposed for the controversial 27-hole golf course. The artists

Buried tanks pose NV threat

THE SEARCH for the
thousands of — oil-bearing
and environmentally haz-
ardous RUSTs (Residential
Underground Storage
Tanks) buried around the

North Shore is expanding.

North Van
municipalities
eye W. Van
plan to defuse
ecological
time bomb

By Michael Becker

News Reporter

While a RUST focation pro-
gram is already under way in West
Vancouver, both North Vancouver 1991 startup of a program) sinudke
taunicipalities are considering ine to West Vaneorver’s Operation
itiatine similar efforts to head off Oil Tank.
the potential threar to local en- Two West Vancouver students
vironments pased by RUS Ts. are spendimig the suminer Knocking

North Vancouver Distrret oan the doors of homes identinied
Council as scheduied: Mondas te by buikting department records as
consider a report from the North homes with RUSTs
Vancomser District Pare Depart- Oc baths
ment otirat recommends the May oners who ate dat gastag tbe ont

INSIDE === :
SPIRITUALLY SPEAK

ate located. hoatte

have
have
have

being asked to
those tanks pumped out,
them filled swith sand or
them removed.

RUSTs, which were installed in
Lower Mainland lots from 1945 to
1960, have a maximum lifespan of
25 years before corrosion renders
them useless und fuel begins to
seep into surrounding ground
water and creeks.

The North Shore has a high
percentage of the estimated $0,000
RUSYVs that are buried throughout
the Tower Miaintind.  Under-
ground tucl tanks were vradtally
abandoned as homeowners sir
ebed to natural gas heating.

In West Vaneouser alone, re-
cords show that 4.8000 uid
vround oif tanks. rabeing in cae
pacity from 280 to F000) vatlons,
were mnstafled prow D938 cts

Neorel Nagmeou.cr Pasteret
chraneenine dirsetar dobro Reoninst

tanks are

August 12, 1990 48 pages 25¢ |

NEWS photo Mike Wakefield

began work on art they plan to sel! at an exhibition in
September. On a tree behind Sword is survey tape mapping out

the golf course. Please see story page 3.

our ereeks.""

Provincial environment
spokesman Rick Hawes has
estimated that bis departinent gets
wn average of one call per week to
investigate spills of pollutants into
North Share creeks. The majority
of those spills, he said. are caused
by fuel leaking from RUSTSs,
Meanwhile the decision to im.

b PHOUCO, PAGE 3

said the miunicipaliry has records
of the majority of tanks installed
in the district*s older
neighborhoods, but he said actual
numbers have yet to be determin-
ed.

Bremner said the majority of
underground off tanks are buried
in Lyon Valley and in older resi-
dential properties located to the

RAGE TANK UNCOVEREI

Heights. Keith-Lynn,
and Deep Cove

Capilano
Upper Lonsditle
areas.

Said Bremner. Ph don’t know if
ip CRESTS) tw oneecessariby a bay
problem todas —- the thing ts
there is certtings the potentical
Nobous hiows for sure iow mans
of them are ain the ground wath ol
incthem. Bat ait thes de scl tease
orbarn them. Ghat oak ss sauere te et
ltt fn oir

Mlo

plement an oi! tank removal pro-
gram similar fo othe municipally-
funded one tm place in West Van-
couser tas set fo be made in
North Vaneoirner Cus

Said Noth Vancouver City Fire
Department ciuet Parry Barker,
“At present at's still under con
sideration 7

West Vanover recently
yrven $8,000 trom the Shell die
saronmertal Puri Awerrcks too sup
port the mutiopality’s program

Mae

mito rhe ereund water

case Thatta te oti ta vet

eh ene

& INFLUENCE: 34