10 - Friday, March 6, 1992 — North Shore News Outdoor burning issue heats up in West Van Municipal compost program being developed WITH outdoor burning scheduled to be banned this year in West Vancouver and replaced with a garden waste composting program, the heat over the conten- tious issue is again rising. By Maureen Curtis Contributing Writer At odds over outdoor burning are those concerned with its nega- tive health and nuisance factors and those who believe it is a quick, easy and inexpensive way to dispose of garden waste. About three years ago, a task force was appointed to examine the pros and cons of outdoor Durning. West Vancouver District Cown- cil debated the matter and then voted to ban burning in 1992, allowing the municipality time to develop an alternative form of waste disposal. In the interim, outdoor burning has continued under a _ more restrictive permit system that is due to end this May. At Monday night’s West Van- couver District Council mecting British Properties resident Waiter Pernfuss appealed to council to extend the use of the permit system. In the past problems arose when people were forced to burn garden waste on the four weekends set aside for burning, regardless of the weather. Under the present system, resi- dents, who are cach allowed just two burning opportunities a year, must seck permission from = the West Vancouver Fire Department, which does not allow burning on the rainy overcast days that slow burning and cause smoke to blanket the municipality. Pernfuss said the recent system had reduced smoke density in West Vancouver and eliminated 95% of the previous abuses. “It’s a masterpiece...The permit system is great. Continue with it and give it a chance to work pro- perly,”’ said Pernfuss. His visit to council coincided with council’s decision later that evening to approve, in principle, a municipal landscape yard and BURN (SMART TO MINIMIZE AIR POLLUTION FROM YOUR WOODSTOVE: Firewood should he seasoned by splitting a and stacking it at Tae least eight months before it is burned. Srezere Your woodpile - 5 should be covered in away that keeps rain and snow off but allows air to circulate B through it. Dry, ® seasoned wood bums best! A message from the BRITISH COLUMBIA LUNG ASSOCIATION WEST VANCOUVER DISTRICT COUNCIL wood waste composting system. The system would involve a drop-off site in West Vancouver, relocation to the North Vancouver transfer station for initial chipping and final deposit and composting WV ALD. Don Griffiths at another location, possibly North Vancouver District's Premier Street landfill, where fur- ther grinding might oe aecessary. According to Ald. Don Grif- fiths, who is West Vancouver's representative on the Greater Vancouver Regiona} District solid waste committee, the estimated cost per ton of the entire process offset against the future sale of the compost will put the municipality in a ‘‘break even"’ situation. Although the yard and waste composting program will be North Shore-wide, West Vancouver would have to pay $45 more per ton of clippings to set up a local depot. A user-pay system is one of the cost-saving methods being consid- ered, Proposal calls for the facility’s operation have been invited. But the future costs of municipa!-wide composting have raised concerns in West Van- couver. Pernfuss speculated that home- owners would start filling up their right-of-ways rather than go to the trouble or expense of carting prunings up to the street for pick-up. Former mayor Don Lanskail warned that it would be very dif- ficult to remove woody material from the bottoms of the many creek ravines that exist in West Vancouver. “The only way to get rid of it is to have a controlled fire,’’ said Lanskail. Ald. Griffiths agreed that perhaps in certain cases special FORMER MAYOR Don Lanskail burning permits should be issued. But he also said that further possibilities for the collection of garden waste and the marketing of the compost product will become more evident ounce a composting program is ‘Saunched and runn- ing.” Katherine Steig, a member of the outdoor burning task force who has lobbied against outdoor burning in West Vancouver, said Monday night, “! just hope that West Vancouver will join with the rest of the North Shore and the Lower Mainland and recognize that outdoor burning has got to Steig said the recent West Van- couver Attitudes and Opinions study conducted by Mark Trend Research shows a 68% public support for banning outdoor bur- ning, especially from younger people and people with young children. The study of over 400 people showed a 3-2 ratio of support for banning outdoor burning in West Vancouver. Supporters of outdoor burning believe it provides a quick and easy method of garden waste disposal at no cost to the tax- payer. Live Crab | cooked slank sqse Bean Ib. 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