25 August 2009
Co-Gen Proposal Heads to Council
Kamloops British Columbia - It's starting to look
like deja vu for city council this summer.
First council dealt with Domtar's bid to have its air-quality permit extended.
Now, another company is proposing to build a $10-million co-generation plant right next door to the mill.
Council will be fully briefed by city staff at next week's meeting on an application by Aboriginal Cogeneration Corporation (ACC) to
build two single-megawatt gasification generators on Mission Flats Road.
Specifically, the ACC is looking to grind up millions of creosote rail ties and, through a complex gasification process, turn them
into electricity that will then be sold.
The company has a 10-year contract with Canadian Pacific Railway to recycle up to four-million ties.
ACC has just concluded the public-consultation process for the air-quality portion of its application, which
is now in the hands of the Ministry of Environment for review.
However, the co-generation plant also needs to comply with Kamloop's sewer bylaws and landfill operational certificate.
That's where the city comes in.
David Duckworth, director of public works and utilities, said at first, there were concerns about burning creosote-soaked
ties.
Without in-house expertise, a consultant was hired to look at all aspects of the proposal.
While the city has no say over air emissions, its consultant has reported the ACC proposal will meet provincial and federal
air-emission regulations.
The consultant suggested the biggest concern for the city is around liquid and solid waste, so the city is requiring ACC to take
samples on a monthly basis to prove the plant meets all requirements.
Duckworth will present the full report to city council, at which time the group of nine can offer feedback on the plan.
Much like Domtar's application, ACC's proposal is expected to draw heat from some in the community.
A group of residents is already vowing to be at the upcoming council meeting to oppose the proposal due to concerns about the air
quality from burning creosote.
Duckworth noted the city has no control over how the company goes about its public consultation.
"They don't go to the city to do that for them and we don't go to the public and say, look what's going on," he said.
"We just look at it from a technical perspective."
As for air quality, ACC president Kim Sigurdson said the company is using technology developed in North Dakota that will virtually
eliminate any emissions released by the creosote.
"We're as green as green can be," he told KTW.
"We're pretty proud of it."
He said the company considered putting the plant in Ashcroft, but chose Kamloops because of the city's access to rail.
If approved, the plant will employ roughly 25 First Nations people.
ACC already runs a chipping operation in Kamloops that takes the ties and grinds them up onsite.
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