Quesnel, British Colombia, August 28, 2007 - A total of $165,000 from the federal Gas Tax Fund will help the City of Quesnel implement a composting program at its municipal landfill. The announcement was made today by Richard Harris, MP for Cariboo – Prince George, on behalf of the Honourable Lawrence Cannon, Minister of Transport, Infrastructure and Communities. John Rustad, MLA for Prince George – Omineca, Councillor Mary Sjostrom, UBCM Executive Member and Quesnel Mayor Nate Bello joined MP Harris in celebrating the announcement.
The funding will support the development of a drop-off point for local residents to deposit their compostable household waste, including lawn clippings, garden and kitchen waste. The program will also receive public yard waste and compostable waste from commercial and industrial businesses.
"Canada's New Government is pleased to work in partnership with the Province of British Columbia and the UBCM to support communities like Quesnel in their efforts to invest in environmentally sustainable projects that lead to a cleaner environment and an improved quality of life," said MP Harris. "This investment supports the government's commitment to address the infrastructure needs of Canadians.”
"It's exciting that the City of Quesnel is taking steps to use green solutions to create a healthier, greener community for residents,” said Mr. Rustad. "I'm so pleased that our partnerships between governments are helping Quesnel make this happen.”
"The new composting program will be a great resource for the citizens of Quesnel and the surrounding Cariboo Regional District electoral areas," said Councillor Sjostrom. "We are pleased to see all of the regions in BC benefiting from the Gas Tax Fund.”
There are a number of benefits to the implementation of a composting program at the municipal landfill, including:
• diverting 30% of the waste stream from the landfill and extending its lifespan by approximately 10 years;
• reducing greenhouse gas emissions from the landfill by 530 metric tonnes of CO2 per year;
• creating future employment (as many as five jobs);
• providing top dressing and soil conditioner for City parks and planters; and
• reducing the risk of groundwater contamination.
"We are very proud to continue to provide environmentally responsible ways for our residents to contribute to a cleaner and greener community,” said Mayor Nate Bello. "Environmentally, it's simply the right thing to do, while economically, these types of initiatives save our taxpayers' money by extending the life of our landfill.
The development of the site is anticipated to begin this fall, with project completion anticipated for next summer.
Canada's New Government is providing $635.6 million to British Columbia from 2005 to 2010 through the Gas Tax Agreement. As part of its $33 billion "Building Canada” plan, the Government of Canada extended the Gas Tax Fund by an additional $2 billion per year nationally, from 2010 to 2014. Gas Tax funding is available to local governments for environmentally sustainable projects that lead to the reduction of greenhouse gas, cleaner air or cleaner water. The Gas Tax Agreement is administered in British Columbia by the Union of BC Municipalities.
The funding for the composting program is provided through the General Strategic Priorities Fund of the Canada - BC - UBCM Gas Tax Agreement. Please visit www.infrastructure.gc.ca or www.civicnet.bc.ca for background information on the Gas Tax Agreement in BC.
