TC. Environment team clears WV lab of pollution ALLEGATIONS OF improper waste disposal at the En- vironment Canada regional laboratory in West Vancouver have been ruled out by a team of Environment Canada charges Conservation and Protection investigators. The investigators determined there was no evidence te support allegations tnat the lab is violating the Canadian Environmental Pro- tection Act (CEPA), the Fisheries Act or the Greater Vancouver Regional District Sewer Use Bylaw. The investigation was initiated Jan. 14 following allegations tiade by Richard Kovacs, a former lab technologist at the Marine Drive facility. The lab, which is located at 4195 Marine Dr., conducts en- vironmental studies of water qual- ity and tests toxic samples for pollution prosecutions. Kovacs claimed mercury metal at the lab ended up in a dumpster and mercury salts were being flust. d down the drain. While Kovacs alleged the sewer received large quantities of ‘‘dan- gerous substances,’”’ investigators noted that the volume of substances released into the sewer are within sewer-use limits. The investigative team also con- cluded that quantities and concen- trations of PCBs released and stored at the lab were below levels regulated by the CEPA. Kovacs alleged thai worker safety was being compromised at the lab. He specifically drew at- tention to ventilation and exhaust problems with toxic substances. According to Kovacs, solvents including freon, chloroform, ace- tone and methanol — which used to be incinerated elsewhere — were being left to evaporate into the atmosphere at the lab. But in- By Michael Becker News Reporter vestigators found that the CEPA Icgislation does not cover waste solvent evaporation. Said Colin Wykes, regional director, pliance.”’ “The quantities in all instances were minute quantities,’’ he add- ed. Meanwhile, lab had already been identified in the fall. “‘We felt as management that there were problems. We've put together a plan to address them.” Allegations made concerning mismanagement are still being in- vestigated, according to Martell. Design and location studies for a new facility have been tendered and let. Martell said funding has been committed for a new lab. But he said, ‘‘That means that we’re still going to have to make some significant steps to bridge us be- tween now and then.’’ NV teachers reach - tentative agreement NORTH VANCOUVER teachers and the North Van- couver District 44 School Board (NVSB) reached a ten- tative two-year collective agreement early Saturday that will give the unionized teachers a seven per cent wage in- crease. North Vancouver Teachers’ Association (NVTA) president Linda Watson said the contract settlement was reached at 3:30 a.m. Saturday. NVSB superintendent Robin Brayne was reluctant Tuesday morning to offer details of the contract settlement because the deai has yet to be ratified by both sides. But Brayne, who said the school board will likely hold a contract tatification vote early next week, added that the collective agree- ment was “competitive with the agreements reached with other metro boards."’ West Vancouver teachers ratified a two-year contract at the end of January that provides teachers with an initial 7.2 per cent wage increase. Watson said the two-year col- lective agreen:zat in North Van- couver is retroactive to September 1990. Teachers will receive a six per cent wage hike in the first year By Surj Rattan News Reporter of the contract and a one per cent increase in the second ycar. The average North Vancouver teacher salary is currently $45,000, including benefits, for a 195-day work year. “We're definitely glad it’s (con- tract negotiations) over,” said Watson. ‘‘We dida’t get everything we wanted, but both sides gave.”’ She added that the tentative contract settlement also limits class size in secondary schools to ne more than 33 students and to a smaller number cf pupils in elementary school classrooms. The NVTA, which had been without a contract since June 30, 1990, held two days of rotating strikes late last week to back con- tract demands, although both sides continued to negotiate around the clock. Index @® Budget Beaters......... 44 Wi Lifestyles.............. 39 WS Business .............. 46 WH North Shore Now...... 21 @ Classified Ads.......... 49 WSports ................ 15 &@ Doug Collins .......... 9 HTV Listings ........... 32 WM Comics .............-. 42 W What's Going On ...... 45 Weather Thursday, periods of rain, low of 4 and a high of 10. Friday, cloudy with showers. Second Class Registration Number 3885 acting Environment Canada Conservation and Protec- tion, ‘‘Wkat I asked them to do was to see if there were any in- fractions of the Canadian En- vironmental Protection Act or the Fisheries Act. They found there were not. As far as what is regu- lated, the operation is under com- Environment Canada official Art Martell, the man who called for the investiga- tion following Kovac’s allegations, said ventilation problems at the Wednesday, February 20, 1991 - Norih Shore News - 3 NEWS photo Cindy Goodman HIGHLANDS COMMUNITY schoo! students held a skipathon recently to raise funds for the B.C. Heart Foundation. For more information on heart month phone 985-7478 or 985-3514. Civic emp loyees awarded right to collect garbage NORTH VANCOUVER City Council voted 5-2 Monday night to deprivatize the collection of garbage in the municipality and give the job back to unionized city employees. Laidlaw Waste Systems Ltd. has been collecting city garbage since 1983, when council took the work away from their employees and tendered it to the private sec- tor. City engineer Chuck Gale said returning the job to the municipality’s employees would result in an estimated increased annual cost to city residents of $4 per household over the average per household price paid elsewhere in the Lower Mainland. But although the city currently pays Laidlaw approximately $103 per household annually, Gale said the average per-household amount paid by Lower Mainland municipalities for garbage collec- tion is $109. In-house garbage collection has been estimated at $113 per house- hold annually. But councillors supporting the move said in-house garbage col- lection was better for residents, because it offered the city more control and flexibility over its garbage collection and gave North Vancouver the ability to coordi- nate all waste management, in- cluding garbage collection and recycling. “This decision was not one that is financial,"’ said Ald. Barbara Sharp, ‘‘but more on a philosoph- ical level.’ Sharp said that by bringing the work back in-house, council has created the ability to give residents good service and a better potential of balancing people’s needs. By Pamela Lang Contributing Writer Although he acknowledged merit in bringing garbage collec- tion work in-house, Ald. Rod Clark said he still disagreed with the process used. “I believe we're erring in not going to tender,”’ he said. Clark said that by testing the private market, which ‘thas served us well in the past,’’ council could be sure of getting a good service for a good price. The negotiations between management and CUPE (the Ca- nadian Union of Public Employees), he said, were dif- ferent from what they would have been if the work had not been contracted out in the past. Ald. Stella Jo Dean agreed, say- ing that prior to the privatization of garbage collection in 1983, “CUPE was arrogant.” Dean said she was against set- ting up an in-house waste Management system on ‘‘princi- ple.”’ City staff estimated a difference of $4 per household annually be- tween a city-run operation and a private contract, but the costs in- volved if the job had been tendered will never be known, she said. Dean added that after it had been put out to tender, the job could still come in-house and council could be confident that NORTH VANCOUVER CITY COUNCIL the citizens were getting a good deal. She said the issue was not one of union versus non-union as it was in 1983, because Laidlaw now has unionized employees. “ve got enough and full in- formation from management and union representatives to lead me to believe that this is the best route to take,” said Ald. John Braithwaite. Ald. Bill Bell said that the privatization of garbage collection had failed to live up to its billing of being cheaper and better than collection by city employees, Bell said that staff reports in- dicate that civic employees will deliver a better service at a rea- sonable price with the flexibility to offer the changing services that will be needed in waste manage- ment. While City Mayor Jack Loucks said that he had no complaints about the current service provided by Laidlaw, he said it was time for a change. Aldermen Clark and Dean op- posed the motion to establish an in-house waste management system. Previously, council debated CUPE's receipt of staff reports on the subject and council’s invita- tion to have union members speak confidentially at council’s closed session. Clark voted against allowing CUPE to see the staff reports, and Dean joined him in voting against inviting the union to meet with council privately.