A proposed site in south Vancouver for a new garbage incinerator to serve Metro Vancouver was submitted without the knowledge or support of its owner – TransLink.
Vancouver Coun. Andrea Reimer said waste-to-energy plant proponent Plenary Group did not notify the city or TransLink, which were then left both "scrambling around trying to figure out what the heck was going on."
"Neither the property owner nor the city it's in knew about or are amenable to this moving forward," Reimer said.
Besides not having TransLink's support, the City of Vancouver has a bylaw prohibiting incineration within its limits.
The property at the south end of Heather Street in Vancouver was one of four prospective sites unveiled last month by proponents that were supposed to be secured.
Metro officials had not yet confirmed any of the properties were available – that verification is to happen in the weeks ahead.
Other possible sites already made public include a Duke Point location near Nanaimo, Squamish Nation reserve land across Howe Sound at Port Mellon, and a Delta cement plant whose owner proposes to burn processed garbage as fuel, offsetting its use of coal.
Six other sites have also been proposed to Metro by various property owners but not yet made public. Metro will assess them and obtain options to lease or buy some or all of them prior to unveiling them next year and advancing to public consultations on the potential sites.