I am writing this letter with the intent to clear up some of the information or lack of information in regards to the Upland Excavating application for an Operational Certificate for our Existing Landfill.
Upland has had a landfill in continuous operation since 1992, we are listed in the Comox Valley Regional Districts as a solid waste landfill.
Our intent with the Operation Certificate is to upgrade our existing site to meet or exceed the MOE landfill guidelines from 2015. This facility will be far ahead of anything so far being done on the Island.
I can see from the Campbell River Environmental Council’s letter to council that the emotional concerns are getting out there but the correct scientific information is not. There is a need for another resource for solid waste landfill as the existing CR landfill is close to closure. Our intent is to not be a resource for garbage and other streams but construction debris and non-hazardous soils.
Our design will entail a completely double lined containment, no material can spill outside or be deposited outside of the liner, water cannot spill out or drain off onto unlined ground and cannot flow uphill into McIvor or Rico Lake.
The water treatment facility, as well, cannot overflow onto the ground. The sewage treatment facility up at Norm Wood Environmental Centre does not dump untreated material onto the ground either.
There has been references to jobs and only supporting a “few.” Really! Is this an argument we want to have with our younger families?
Upland Excavating has supported many families in this area for 45 years, we have a vested interest in our environment and the preservation of it, our children all live here and value the precious natural resources we are blessed with.
I put this offer and request out there, please learn about what we are proposing, come up for a look, our application is all publicly available information, factual and backed up by science.
Terry Stuart
Upland Excavating
CLARIFICATION: In a previous story on the project, company president George Stuart was described as the “founder” of Uplands, this is incorrect, the company was started by Cecil (Cec) and Karen McRae and Rudy Ewart.