By JEFF NAGEL

SKEENA CELLULOSE of-
: ficials are pledging to find a
: solution within a month to
: the problem of noise from
: their chipping operation,
: Company official Dan
< Tuomi made the promise at
; 4 meeting with city residents
~ last week,

Although the chipper isn't
: immediately adjacent to
residential areas, its noise
carriés far and that’s caused
protests,

“We recognize there is a
noise problem and it’s got to
be resolved,”’ Tuomi said,
He said Skeena Cellulose
is negotiating with West
Fraser to have it chip some
of its wood, reducing the
use of the chipper and noisy
drum debarker in the Poirier
yard beside Hwy16.

That’s SCl’s preferred
solution, Tuomi said, adding
the company as recently as
1994 had a similar chipping
arrangement with West
Fraser,

But the idea is compli-
cated in that West Fraser’s
mill ‘is operating on a one-
shift-only basis, with many
workers there facing layoff
in June when a_ work-
Sharing program ends.

‘We're in active discus-
sions and we figure within a
month we'll know one way
or the other,” Tuomi said.
“And if that’s not the case
then we'll go to plan B.’’

The next-best alternative
would likely.be adding a
quieter ring debarker, which
would handle larger logs,
and leave smaller pieces for
the drum debarker.

“Our sense is that we
would then not have to use
the drum outside normal
daytime operating shift
hours,’’ Tuomi said.

ROT Ree KER eee

fa Re de

fo pt

PERN SEC URC eR ee

SCI pledges chipper noise fix

Company hopes to hush up

*

PILES OF CHIPS needed

to feed Skeena Cellulose's

Prince Rupert pulp mill are the ultimate product of the

noisy log chipper that's drawn the wrath of residents

on the west side of town.

don’t want to spend money
if you don’t have to,” he
noted. ‘*But the reality is we
have to find the best solu-
tion we can.’’

Affected residents said
they were encouraged by the
mecting with the company.

*] think there is a will
there,’’ said Mountain Vista
Drive resident Tony
Harmel. “If was fairly pro-
ductive.’’

That marked a turnaround
from two days earlier when
more than a dozen angry
residents packed into coun-

cil chambers to demand the
city take action. ‘

Some people there were
talking about options from
taking legal action to picket-
ing Skeena Cellulose’s log
yard. ’

Residents had come out to
express dissatisfaction with
the company’s latest effort
to deaden the noise by plac-
ing putty and then
aluminum sheathing on the
debarker drum.

“How many more months
do we have to wait,”
demanded Agar Ave. resi-

Residents sort

NOT EVEN the traditional day of rest — Sunday — will
be immune from the banging and thumping of Skeena Cel-
lulose’s noisy log debarker while the company looks for a

dent Fran Godet,

She doesn’t want to have
to slecp with her windows
closed all summer.

The confrontation ended
with mayor Jack Talstra
directing residents to pick a
few representatives to-sit in
on the meeting the city then
organized with company of-
ficials,

Gordon Hull, of chipper
operators Don Hull and
Sons Contracting Ltd., says
the noise problem has eased
with the application of putty
and aluminum.

of get a

“T don't think it's near as
bad as it used to be,’’ Hull
said, adding he thinks the
noise in the evening would
normally be masked if
Skeena Sawmills were oper-
ating two shifts.

More sound testing will
likely take place in April
after the snow is gone, he
added,

“We're working on it and
diing what the people say
will correct it,’’ he added,
“The reality is we have
quieted it down quite a bit.”

break

Start its B line could increase operations at its Prince
Rupert pulp mill, and in tum increase the amount of chips

required to feed the mill.

The Terrace Standard, Wednesday, March 10, 1999 - AQ

|
News In Brief

SCI fined for infractions

SKEENA CELLULOSE has been fined a total of
$49,000 for two separate violations of Workers
Compensation Board regulations in 1997,

The company had to put up $30,000 for an incident
when a Prince Rupert pulp mill worker required to
wear a respiratory mask that seals to the face was not
clean shaven.

The second $19,000 fine was for repeat non-
compliance with several industrial health and safety
regulations at the Prince Rupert pulp mill.

The fines were among $290,000 worth of WCB
penalties levied against 30 B.C. employers.

Bank restores hours

THE BANK of Montreal branch here is reverting
to full teller service after customers told it they
didn’t like a reduction brought in last year.

Starling last July, the bank limited the time during
which customers could make withdrawals and deposits
from tellers. The move didn’t affect other banking ser-
vices.

But that didn’t sit well and, as of March 2, full ser-
vice teller hours of 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Monday and 10
a.m. to5 p.m. Friday have been restored.

Moms focus of help

TERRACE IS to be the location in April of first a
three-week session and then a follow up week of
intensive day counselling for moms with drug and
or alcohol problems. —

This city is one of three in the north to have such ses-
sions first announced last year,

“We will offer child care for preschoolers of those
women who are in the program and may need it. For
some of these kids it’s a chance to get some structure
into their lives — something they may be missing at
home,” said children and families minister Lois
Boone.

Each session can hold between 10 and 15 women.

Regimental ball planned

BRUSH OFF your tuxedos. The Terrace RCMP
detachment is holding a formal dinner and dance
at the arena May 15 to raise money for the pro-
posed Terrace multiplex.

The regimental ball is a long-standing RCMP tradi-
tion that celebrates RCMP involvement and success in
the community.

Bail proceeds will go to the plan to expand recrea-

He admitted the company
is: much Jess enthusiastic
about other options, such as
enclosing the chipping oper-

ations within a building, or
‘elocating ‘them altogether
toa different site.

‘‘Nobody’s making any

tional facilities in Terrace from a single sheet of ice
and a pool to two ice surfaces, gymnasiums, a teen
centre, climbing wall, racquet courts, weight room and
250-seat theatre. ;

To donate time, money or services to the regimental
ball or to just book your tickets before they sell out,
call Cust. Kurt Grabinsky at 638-7429;

permanent solution.
But in exchange for running from five to seven days a
week, the debarker will no longer min late into the night.
Mayor Jack Talstra presented the temporary compromise
to residents at a council meeting last week.
The chipper had run from 6:30 a.m. to 1:30 a.m., five
days a week. Closing time will now be moved forward six
hours to 7:30pm. BR Ae OE

“T have a major problem with this,” said Yvonne Dan-
roth, owner of the Wild Duck Motel and RV Park. “The
noise is horrendous and our season is about to start, This
doesn’t help me one bit.”’

Fran Godet said she had counted on having peace and
quiet on her weekends, which will now be robbed,

2\'Saturday and: Sunday aré)my days. fo relax,’’ she said.
‘ “The tast-thing “] ‘need is to be sitting in my backyard

money these days and you

The mayor wamed that ‘Skeena’ Cellulose’s plan to re-

listening to this thing banging and clanging.”

SIGHT & SOUND
Outstanpine
Senvict

ee

® KEITH AVE. ‘erry CENTRE
fon) TERRACE KITIMAT TERRACE
SS) 635-5333 632-5000 635-4948

Savings In Every Department

Enter Our FREE D
For a Sanyo

No purchase necessary - One per store.

37%

ANNIVERSARY
1962-1998

ma
VISA
Lo]

SKEENA MALL