Open letter to mayor and council,
As a longtime resident of Richmond, I would like you to investigate the foul and rotten odours that are common in our city.
They can be smelled near our home, No. 2 Road and Francis Road, the employee parking at YVR Airport and No. 4 Road and Blundell Road. This last summer, it was very noticeable, because we had to close our windows to sleep. We had no way to cool down our home. We were not able to relax on our patio, because of the rotten smell. We are even smelling it in the cold weather on a regular basis.
After doing some investigation, reading the Richmond News and listening to CBC News, I have found out the source of this constant rotten stench is from the company Harvest Power in east Richmond.
Harvest Power is 15.8 kilometers away from my home between No. 2 Road and Railway Avenue, yet people like myself are regularly smelling the putrid stench of this recycling facility.
Composting is a good thing for the environment and garbage reduction, however we cannot put up with the bad odours. There are ways to deal with these odours and emissions, and this profitable company should be made to follow them.
This situation has caused us to lose the enjoyment of the outdoors. It is also dangerous to our health. We used to have the best air quality in Richmond until about a year ago. Last week alone I smelled the foul air at least eight times. That is way too much and it should not be permitted. This is not about recycling or being good citizens and doing the right things for the environment. Before establishing a venture like this in a densely populated area like the Lower Mainland, Metro Vancouver should have ensured Harvest Power would have the state-of-the-art enclosed recycling facilities, like other operations.
Harvest Power is requesting even higher volumes of putrid waste, such as proteins which are the worst odour offenders, that other, more advanced waste management facilities, cannot take. Don’t fool yourself, this is not about our environment. It’s about corporate investment and big money. This whole scheme is disgusting and is a nightmare for anyone who wants to breath clean air.
As a taxpaying resident of Richmond, I should at least be able to open the door of my house on any given day to go out for a walk with my dog and not get driven back into my home by a horrible stench.
I have already phoned Metro Vancouver’s air quality complaints line three times in the last few days. This phone line (604-436-6777) should be made public, so all residents have a chance to speak up or at least know where these smells are coming from.
Residents should lodge their complaints quickly since Harvest Power is currently seeking permission to increase its allowable emissions output in the next few weeks.
To city officials, I hope you have a quick response to this issue. You need to stop this now. I’m looking forward to your response.
Mrs. Gina Goodwin
Richmond
Complaints can also be made via email to [email protected]. Deadline for comments regarding the application is Dec. 13.
