Facility will convert yard waste to compost for resale
Vernon, British Columbia, October 14, 2011 –North Okanagan residents have a new option for the disposal of yard waste thanks to the completion of a composting facility at the Greater Vernon Recycling and Disposal Facility. The full cost of the $1.15 million project was covered through the Government of Canada’s Gas Tax Fund.
“This new composting facility is a great example of what the federal Gas Tax Fund was designed to do,” said Colin Mayes, Member of Parliament for Okanagan-Shuswap, on behalf of the Honourable Denis Lebel, Minister of Transport, Infrastructure and Communities. “Not only will this facility benefit the environment, it also offersNorth Okanaganresidents a way to dispose of garden and yard waste, and easier access to ready-made compost.”
The Regional District of North Okanagan (RDNO) composting facility will process yard waste and clean wood waste from regional residents and businesses. In its first year, the project is anticipated to divert up to 19,000 tonnes of organic waste, producing a greenhouse gas (GHG) reduction equivalent to over 24,000 tonnes of carbon dioxide.
“The new Composting Facility will result in a longer life for our disposal facilities and provide our residents and businesses with access to compost that makes soils healthier while reducing GHGs at our sites,” said RDNO Chair Herman Halvorson. “Staff have worked for over three years to bring this facility to the region, and we look forward to producing a few thousand tonnes of Class A compost every year for many years to come.”
The new facility onBirnie Roadwill receive yard and wood waste delivered by residents and collected through local government curbside and chipping programs. The final product will be “Class A” compost which is anticipated to be available for gardeners and landscapers in the spring of 2012.
“The Gas Tax Agreement benefitsBritish Columbiaby supporting projects that achieve cleaner air and water, greener energy and better public transit,” said Eric Foster, Vernon-Monashee MLA. “The agreement has resulted in more than $640 million for B.C. communities since 2005 – and the extension to 2014 will bring close to another $1 billion dollars to invest in sustainable infrastructure throughoutBritish Columbia.”
“New facilities for waste diversion are essential to reducing the demand on local government landfills,” said UBCM President Heath Slee. “The Gas Tax Fund is playing a vital role in improving the management of solid waste in BC communities.”
The Gas Tax Fund in British Columbia
The federal Gas Tax Fund is the largest component of the $33-billion Building Canada Plan. InBritish Columbiait is a tripartite agreement betweenCanada,British Columbiaand UBCM that provides stable, predictable funding to local governments in support of environmentally sustainable municipal infrastructure projects, such as green energy, public transit, water and wastewater infrastructure, and public transit. UBCM administers the Gas Tax Fund in B.C. in collaboration withCanadaandBritish Columbia.
In 2007, the Government of Canada extended the Gas Tax Fund to 2014. Today, approximately $250 million in funding is provided annually for local government infrastructure inBritish Columbia. By 2014,British Columbiawill have received more than $1.63 billion in federal support for infrastructure from the federal Gas Tax Fund.
On October 4, 2011, the Government of Canada tabled legislation that will make the Gas Tax Fund a permanent annual investment of $2 billion acrossCanada.
For further information on the Government of Canada’s infrastructure investments in British Columbia, visit www.creatingjobs.gc.ca.
For more information:
Pierre Floréa
Press Secretary
Office of the Minister of Transport, Infrastructure and Communities
613-991-0700
Jeff Rud
Communications Director
Ministry of Community, Sport and Cultural Development
250-953-3677
Paul Taylor
Relationships and Communications Advisor
UBCM
250-356-2938
Nicole Kohnert
Manager Regional Engineering Services
Regional District of North Okanagan
250-550-3741
Infrastructure Canada
613-948-1148
OR Toll-free: 1-877-250-7154
