A FEDERAL government inventory listing polychlorinated biphenyl (PCB) storage sites across the country identifies seven North Shore locations, including Lions Gate Hospital] and the West Vancouver building that houses the B.C. and Yukon regional office of the federal Environmental Protec- tion Service. The list, released earlier this week, is termed ‘‘a snapshot” of PCBs in storage as of this month. The fist represents companies that have come forward to report the presence of PCBs at their foca- tions. Federal Environment Minister Thomas McMillan invoked federal authority Wednesday requiring PCB storage holders not already identified on the list to notify the federal government within 30 days or face Jegal action. Approximately 40,000 tonnes of CAPILANO MP ..-'‘Comparatively speaking, although Canadian Oxy is the largest PCB holder on the North Shore, the amount here is very fow."* Mary Collins PBCs were imported into Canada between 1929 and the late 1970s. They were used in everything from electrical equipment to plastics and printing inks. Approx- imately 14,000 tonnes remain in use, 10,000 tonnes are estimated to be in storage and 15,000 tonnes were released into the environment during the years of unsafe disposal. Once in the food chain, PCBs are stored in body fat and have been held responsible for reproductive, respiratory and neurological problems. The North Vancouver Canadian Occidental Petroleum plant is By MICHAEL BECKER News Reporter listed as having the largest amount of the substance on site locally. Occidental spokesman Orest Sackney said the company has 222 litres on site, The scrap capacitors are stored in a building incorporating meta! walls and concrete floors that are designed to prohibit drainage out- side of the structure. The building can be accessed only by authorized personnel. Lions Gate Hospital lists six capacitors for a total of 30 litres of PCBs. Said Neil Kool, director of plant services, ‘‘As far as we're concerned, it’s perfectly safe where it is, but we will eventually dispose of it if we know what to do with it."” Three of the capacitors, installed in 1975, are currently in use and three redundant capacitors are stored in a substation. “The door is clearly marked and always locked,”’ Kool said. ‘‘There are no leaks and there is no way these things can explode. En- vironment Canada inspected in 1985 and deemed it a low risk.’* The five other identified PCB storage locations are Grouse Mountain Ski Resort (three capacitors holding a total 15 litres); Innovation in the 1400- block of Welch Street, North Van- couver (one capacitor holding a total 10 litres); the provincia! Ministry of the Environment in the 1600-block of Columbia Street, North Vancouver (one capacitor holding five litres); Saskatchewan Wheat Pool, 800-block Low Level Road, North Vancouver (three capacitors holding a total 15 litres); the Kapilano 100 building at Park Royal, West Vancouver (11 capacitors holding a total of 55 litres). Said North Vancouver federal Liberal candidate James Hatton, “Our first task is to find the PCBs now stored or in use which the government has no record of. Secondly, the PCBs now in storage must be moved to secure, fire- proof storage away from residen- tial communities.” Cruise lines back out of Versatile deal From page 1 But Watt said, ‘“‘These cruise line operators will take no risks whatsoever. They were worried about any kind of atmosphere be- fore (the strike) causing any kind of slowdown. They smell anything and they’re gone.”’ Versatile unions have rejected the last two company offers by 96 per cent vote margins. A_ strike vote will be taken Sept. 26 and results released Sept. 27. The unions could legally strike 72 hours later. With the Island Princess due to begin her first Caribbean cruise the same day her refit is scheduled to be completed, on-time delivery is vital, said P and O senior vice- president of marine operations Stephen Nielsen. “It’s essential,”’ Nielsen said in an interview from Los Angeles. “We've got brochures printed and passengers booked; we go.”” Dealing with Versatile for more than 12 years, the cruise ship line, he said, will still consider the ship- yard’s tender for repair and refit- ting work ‘‘as we do every year.’”” Both vessels will now be refitted at Seattle’s Todd Shipyard. In 1987, Versatile repaired P and O’s Royal Princess, Sun Princess and Fairsky. Fitzpatrick said the loss of the cruise ship contracts was ‘‘most upsetting to us (the JSC)", but added that the unions’ ‘‘hands are clean in this. They (Versatile) made the decision to let the work go...10 let $3 million go out of the economy.”* He said the move was another attempt by the company to put pressure on Versatile employees and force the unions ‘‘to accept a substandard contract.’ 3 - Sunday, September 11, 1988 - North Shore News | 3 PRECAST NEWS photo Neil Lucente ABOUT 40 White Spot restaurant strikers and supporters sang songs and gave speeches during a demonstration at the 23rd and Lonsdale White Spot Thursday. Workers at the unionized White Spots have been on strike since Aug. 27.The union is asking for a 50¢-per-hour wage boost over one year. Task force col mW twi m tower THE TASK force assigned to study the proposed twin tower development at 320 Taylor Way completed its report Friday for submission to West Vancouver District Council Monday night. “We could have gone on for another month,’’ said Capt. George Murrell of the 12-member task force, which was formed two months ago in response to public outcry over the proposed development. The task force’s report will be submitted one week prior to the proposal’s Sept. 19 public meeting at West Vancouver Senior Second- ary School. Murrell said the task force was impressed with an I1-page submis- sion made by the Capilano Public Lands Committee (CPLC). The residents’ committee has criticized the proposal saying it will encourage further high-rise development on Indian land in the area. The committee is also skeptical of the estimated annual $1,502,000 revenue to the municipality from the twin residential towers and res- (aurant project. According to CPLC’s David Thompson, the expected $9,675,000 lease cost will end up MAUREEN CURTIS Contributing Writer closer to $7 million because it will be paid out over six years. He doubted that the cost charges expected by the municipality will be realized and said that the estimated $470,000 per year in tax revenues would go to pay for the services the new residents will be using. Thompson also claimed project costs to the municipality have been underestimated, especially those for the construction of an under- pass ($63,000) under Marine Drive to provide access to the towers via 6th Street and Clyde Ave. “You can’t put an extension on your house for $63,000,’ said Thompson. Because of its high-water mark location, which is further com- plicated by the presence of gas pipelines and B.C. Hydro lines, the underpass will require approvals from the Ministry of Highways, the Federal Department of Fish- report eries and Oceans and the Ministry of Environment. Thompson said the municipality will have to bend its own rules to accommodate Newcorp Properties Ltd., the proposed project’s developer, by allowing the com- pany to build the parking garage three feet above grade (to avoid flooding problems) without in- cluding it in the floor-area ratio. “That gives them 18 per cent more room -~ which works out to several stories,’’ said Thompson, Other areas that might be ex- cluded from the ratio include an atrium between the towers, balconies, recreational space and the lobby. CPLC also discounted a traffic report, which was based on a July 1987 study, concluding that the ex- tra 1,300 to 1,600 vehicle trips generated by the restaurant and 196 suites would be ‘‘relatively minor’ and “should not cause any perceptible changes in conditions.”’ Another CPLC concern is that the agreement between the municipality and Newcorp allows the company to sell their lease be- fore closing. “The Jandlord may have no idea of who the tenant will be...no con- trol,”’ said Thompson.