12 February 2010

Gasificiation Proponent Admits Communications Failure

Kamloops British Columbia - The head of a company that wants to bring a controversial gasification plant to Kamloops has acknowledged he has failed in a number of ways in getting the facts of the project out to the public.
 
But Kim Sigurdson, the president of the Aboriginal Cogeneration Corporation, told KTW he is looking forward to an upcoming public forum to provide some answers to the community.
 
"I'm hoping that I can reach out to the people that may be on the fence, who maybe wondering more about our side of the facts," he said.
 
"Even though we've tried really hard to get them out, I probably failed in a number of ways and I just want to resolve that and move forward."
 
The Kamloops Chamber of Commerce is hosting the public forum, slated for 11 Mar 2010, with a site yet to be determined.
 
Sigurdson said he will be in attendance and will likely bring an engineer with him to help explain the project and answer questions.
 
"That should open up everything," he said.
 
Last month, the ACC was issued an air-discharge permit by the Ministry of Environment to allow the Manitoba-based company to operate a gasification facility, where creosote-treated railway ties would be chipped and incinerated as part of an energy-creation facility.
 
But the plan has ignited a flurry of opposition from the public and local politicians.
 
Kamloops-Thompson-Cariboo Conservative MP Cathy McLeod welcomes the forum, calling it "appropriate."
 
However, the MP maintains a full environmental assessment is needed to satisfy public concern.
 
Two weeks ago, McLeod took her concerns to Ottawa and the federal ministries responsible for the project, asking why there was no environmental assessment.
 
She said she is still waiting to hear back.
 
Kamloops-North Thompson Liberal MLA Terry Lake is also glad the ACC is taking part in a public forum and hopes it will help address some resident's worries.
 
"I would have preferred that a long time ago, before so much emotion and concern was left without any answers," he said.
 
Lake and Kamloops-South Thompson Liberal MLA Kevin Krueger met with ministry officials regarding the company's application for $1.7 million in funding through the provincial Innovative Clean Energy Fund.
 
Lake said the Ministry of Small Business, Technology, and Development is still reviewing the application to ensure the ACC is meeting its obligations under the program.
 
As for the forum, chamber executive director Deb McClelland said the business organization wants to hold the event because there are so many questions about the project that haven't been answered.
 
"The public and the business community need to be well informed before we decide what we think of this situation," she said.
 
McClelland said the chamber isn't taking a particular stance on the ACC's proposal, but is providing a venue for people to get information.
 
Jeremy Deutsch.