Proposed Nanaimo Waste-to-Energy Plant

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Burnaby WTE facility - Opened in 1988

Opposition Based on Fact or Fear?

It should come as no surprise the city that rejected a natural gas fired electric generation plant at Duke Point would be against an incinerator to burn Vancouver's garbage. We immediately have visions of our pristine skyline being hidden from view behind plumes of dangerous, toxic smoke obliterating the sun and searing our lungs. This apocalyptic scenario being made necessary simply because Vancouver can't reduce their garbage. Who wouldn't be violently opposed to such a travesty?

I would be, providing that vision is based on fact rather than being the product of my own ill-informed imagination. I have come to realize that with most matters there are three sides to the story, and only one of them is completely true. I would expect the proponents of such an enterprise to downplay any risk associated with the operation of their facility. I would expect the opponents to parade examples of worst case scenarios and examples of extreme risks to personal health and the environment to support their case against such a plant.

Little Real Facts Are Known

Landfill Option

One of the first issues is whether or not it is better to put waste into landfill rather than use it as a fuel to produce electricity or super heated steam for other industrial applications. One of the 'facts' I came across claims that one metric ton of MSW (Municipal Solid Waste) will produce enough methane gas if landfilled to have twice the global warming potential than if it had been incinerated.

Landfills are not without serious environmental impact not the least of which is the leachate and methane gas which they produce. If not properly contained, or if the containment fails the results of the leachate from a landfill finding it's way into our watercourses could be catastrophic. Remembering we do live in an earthquake zone which could rupture the containment beneath existing or future landfill sites.

The methane gas produced, as stated earlier is one of those serious global warming gases which if simply contained in the landfill basically becomes a very large bomb.

Waste to Energy

The idea that these facilities are simply toxin spewing trash burners is likely the first image that springs to mind when we hear of garbage incineration. If they are nothing more than a big version of the 50 gallon burning drum my father used when I was a kid, I would agree that they have no place in our society.

From the limited research I have done to date, I understand that the temperatures used for incineration, combined with scrubbers in the chimney and other sophisticated technology basically produces a near harmless emission from the stack, the only thing making it visible is the steam produced from moisture in the fuel.

The fact that one of these facilities has been operating in Burnaby since 1988, apparently unnoticed seems to point to their acceptable performance.

When I think of one of these plants as a very large burning barrel pumping out smoke and ash 24/7, obscuring my view of the blue sky by a thick plume and causing me to wear a mask, I am violently opposed to such an idea.

When I think of a facility that turns waste into a fuel which produces electricity with little to no environmental impact, which burns so cleanly they can be put in the centre of town ...... I am not opposed at all.

Jury is Still Out

Personally, the jury is still out as far as I am concerned, I will still need more facts I can rely upon, but I am beginning to think a waste to energy plant may not be the Nanaimo-destroying force it's opponents fear.