Bee-hive burners are due for a pollution check -- and
someday they may be just a faded memory for Terrace

residents.

Thank you for your
letter of April 19
[regarding the fly-ash
4problem in Terrace.
| Having lived in Terrace
for a.short time some
| years ago, I can certainly
‘sympathize with you.
1. There are two aspects
. to. -probiems ‘of this
Jnature: 1. the legal
‘jaspect, ‘2. the social
Yaspect. I'll go into the
; legal one first:

“Three © levels of
-Pjurisdiction are
| applicable to the lumber
industry: A, the Federal:
| level, B. the Province
_ level ‘and ..C. the
| Municipal level. The
"| Federal jurisdiction
covers fly-ash under the
{Fisheries Act, Section 33
‘lsubsection 2. ‘It lis
‘| restricted, however, to

_/Eflyash in or over: (on ice:

“for. example):: waters
-L inhabited -by fish. I-can’t

| the first fine for for a vio-
| lation is, but the second is

" applied each day ° the
.Joffence takes - place,
.ewhich ‘in the case of: an
operating mill would be
"_pevery. ‘day.

“However,

</-Terrace are not near, ‘the

"y iver, -hence: this.:is not

: likely to be covered. by.

“recall-right off hand what.

'}$5,000 : ‘and can: be-.re- .

Z if 1 recall '
o cofrectly, ‘the mills: at

; the fisheries Act but you:

A letter

could check this.

At the Provincial level,
we have the ‘Pollution
Control Objectives for the
Forest Industry.’’These
apply only to mills
operating under. a
Pollution Control permit.
All mills were required to
register their burners
with the Pollution Control
Branch as of March 3ist
this year, however as
most mills waited till the
last moment’ (and the
ones in Terrace probably
did also) the Pollution
Control branch is now
swamped with
applications and it will
take them considerable
time to process them all.
Hence I would suspect
that the mills there are
not yet operating under
permit. However, if they
are operating under
permit, they should have
to meet objectives B or C

‘of the Objectives, |

Objective B is ‘for
modified burners (I
believe only  Pchle
Lumber has a modified
‘burner in Terrace). and:

‘means that 15 tons. of

particulate material’ per

‘square’ mile-per month,

collected overa two-week
period is allowed. :

“Level Cis for, existing
(non-modified) - ‘burners:
and states that 20 tons of |

particu material ‘per '

ile-per:; “month, |

. daw, |

collected over a two-week
period is allowed. This
must be measured at
“suitable located sites
along the mill’s property
boundary __line,’’
Although these may seem
like large amounts, I
dare-say that they are not
anywhere near what is.
being spewed out now, so
it will be an
improvement,

You could ask each
company if they are

operating under permit.

and if so ask for the
details of the permit. If
they refuse to give this

information to you, write »

to the’ Pollution Control
Branch and ask them.
However, I would guess
that they are not

pperating under permit |

yet.
The third level of
jurisdiction is
municipal level and, all
municipalities do not
have by-laws covering
this.

However, ’

‘overcoming | one™ will
overcome the other. ©

yard,
‘principle.

the .

You should check . write. :
with your Town office to ..
see If it has any. by-laws
on fly-ash or air pollution a
‘on the books: If so, it will
probably, - be.-an air -
pollution (smoke) ‘by:
“since .
smoke ‘and. fly-ash are:
directly.

‘enclose a.
‘with’. eaéh::"1
possible. Write ‘to:”. the .
Davis, .
related: yo Minister: |
Environment,” *
‘Parliament: :

Ottawa, Ot; Jour Mr,

IE:
fete | is bn a by-law:you 0

J ates

will have to persuade or

pressure the Town
fathers to apply it.
(Incidentally, never lay a
charge yourself unless
you are on incontestible
grounds. Most people
have neither the finances
nor the expertise to prove
their case in-court. Alw-
ays let the Department
administering the law lay
the charge).

As you can see, there
will _ probably be slim
pickings under the legal
aspect.

Then there is the social
aspect, You may not
dump garbage into your
neighbours yard.
Therefore, neither may a
mill dump fly-ash in your
That's a social
I would
suggest that you learn ail
you. can about beehive
burners and the new ones
such as the Rees-Medford
system and. the J.S.
Lausman ‘smokeless
burners. You should
the... following
people, ‘asking’ what’ they

“can do, or. what. can be
done about the: ‘problem.

It would’ be. best ‘to
‘photograph
etter: -if
Hon... Jack «.

of ' the

editor. -

Buildings, :

THURSDAY, JULY 13, 1972

Pollution is on everyone’s' lips: -~ and in°a

council will meet with a pollution: control

,

from SPEC to a Terrace resident concerned about

Frank Howard (same
address), the Hon. Ray
Williston, Minister of
Lands, Forests and:
Water Resources, Pa-
rliament Buildings,
Victoria; your MLA Mr.
Dudley Little (same
address) and to Mr, W.N.
Venables Pollution
Control - Branch,
Parliament Buildings,
Victoria. (Incidentally, 1
would be particularly
interested to know how
Mr. Williston and Mr.
Venables reply. Perhaps
you could let me know). °
It may seem a waste of
time to write to Mr. Davis
if there is no fly-ash
getting to the river, but I
would do so nontheless.
His replay may give you
an added insight into the
problem. and you will
have . left no stone
unturned in seeking
redress in the. problem.
Both are important. .
Once this :has © been
done, you can then apply
publicity...

together. .on this ‘arid
wrote - one. ‘letter, to the :

editor. each.” “day,

-eachffriend ; ‘have his ‘1
. Surg: Ine et way: one ,

Talk to’. the -
“newspaper, radio and TV:

“people about it, Ask them”
“for coverage. -If they will.” “.
not, write letters to hhe:
Tt would .-be::
particularly. effective. if

you'and: your friends got .

_ for “sensible; reasonable”

The problem of bee- hive burners spewing smoke
has been licked in many places -- particularly
Williams Lake and Quesnel.

In Williams Lake they've de-capitated: all their:
messy burners and installed a flat-shaped filter on
the top wich eliminates the fly-ash and most of the

smoke.

in Quesnel they’ve descontinued the bee-hives
we understand -- and are disposing of the waste in:
solid form as land fill and in other, non- polluting

ways.

So it can be done. It is being done.
And it can be done here...

wri BALA AL aipieas *

sad a sol GEnEO® Be SAE .

fins fe alee bvert apt

—Canadian Scientific Pollution and Environmental Control Society. -

letter on the subject
would be in the paper .
every day. If you kept"
this up for a week or so, it.
would be very effective. I
‘am sure that there is
much discontent - in
Terrace. over’ this
situation - there was
when I lived there. It just
needs a little prodding to
bring to the surface. If
none of these things has
any results, make .up .a
petition, get as many
signatures as you can,
present it again to the
news media. If they will -
not pay any heed to you
as an individual, they
usually will if you are
backed by a ‘lot of
signatures. Try to make
a committee so that the
work can be spread
evenly. In other words,
do your best to- get adve-
rse publicity on the milis
causing the problem. We
‘haye. found that . most
companies are yery.
sensitive to this and it
‘inevitably - brings. about .
-some reaction: a

boi

This: reaction; at. Teast

4 the initial reaction canbe.

predicted. ° ‘The mills will
ay: that they: have been”
“doing ° their. best. to.
“overcome the problem. .
“(Ask thein’ how * much
they spent on “upgrading
burner last: year: -
Baia what, hey. plan tg todo.

“smoke” pollution |

this year). They wil
threaten to move out, of
Town: if forced
spend. money
upgrads the burners.
They will emphasize the
number of. people they
employ and what their
payroll is (implying -an
economic threat to the:
community). Don't, be
led astray by this. The
jumber market is | now :
better thanithas-been for ©
years. If they can't spend
the money now, they
-never will. .

Let the public ‘know
that it is the Provincial -
Government’s | intention -
‘to phase out the beehive .
burners. (Page 14 of ‘the |
booklet “Pollution -
Control Objectives for the :
Forest Industry in B.C.
reads: ‘‘Accordingly,
and pursuant to the Po- -

hs

Tlution Control. Board's...

recommendations to: the
Lieutenant-Governor, in
Council, dated, July. 25th,
- 1969, that the disposal. of
wood. ‘wastes in’ non-..
* modified ‘burners be-
discontinued by. January
15,1975, . it’, is ‘herein ©
recommended ‘that’ all.
-nop-modifieg. burners, be «
haved ‘out of. 0
“due: regard tothe
existing. quality’ of the:
‘environment: BE 6ae
particular location. .
‘stead, multiple: ‘chamber’
.nelneratong. wal. Be

ration ae

in ‘its Py

he, 3! ee: ATP

new -
and as

provided at
installations

_ replacement at existing

phased out burner
locations.” This means
that before.long, they will
-have to spend money .on
the problem. Why not do
it.» now. .and::: itake
advantage of the constant
inflation that.will make it
‘much more expensive in-
'1975.. ue :
Whatever you. doy do
riot : give, up. :».iBe
persistent; ; - down-right
<stubborn if: necessary...
You: .cannot expect: ihs-
tant» results;., and: you
“must .expect:. to :-bé
‘disappointed sand
criticised on occasion... -
‘Don't be satisfied with an
evasive. answer. . ‘And,
“mnake sure. your.own: yard
‘is’ ‘clean: oY ree

Im sorry to havé been
‘so long winded. abo. out it
but I hope this will
‘some:help to you. We
“have used this,.type..of
tactic. since - our group .
‘was formed - and” _ have
found. that ..if: i
-felligent! ;
kno res i bl];
Consistently.
ie cata “a

see
Secretar ia

Pete ee are vite.