Editor:
It was good to see that there is enough concern in the community regarding the burning of railway ties at the Williams Lake Power Plant to host the public information session last Wednesday at the Gibraltar Room.
While I commend their efforts some of the information presented lacked facts.
I took the opportunity prior to the information session to meet with some of the Atlantic Power management, ask questions and to get a copy of their fact sheets (available on their website, www.atlanticpower.com/williams-lake).
I would like to add the following:
1.) The concern with PM2.5 and PM10 in the Williams Lake air shed — according to a study conducted by the engineering firm RWDI — there will be no increase in PM 2.5 or PM10 with the burning of railway ties and the WLPP only contributes 2 per cent of the total PM2.5 and PM10 in the WL air shed. Perhaps the concern should be directed towards the major contributors (residential fire places and wood stoves, commercial vehicle emissions and road dust).
2.) The concern with additional chemicals being discharged into the air.
The invited guest, Greg Baytalan from Interior Health, stated that the boiler furnace at the WLPP is ideally suited for disposing of creosote wood due to the high temperatures and long resident burning time, both of which are greater than the existing garbage incineration plant in Burnaby which burns much nastier stuff than creosote wood.
The creosote components would apparently be totally incinerated.
3.) Use of roadside logging waste — it would be great to use that material but apparently the cost is prohibitive at this time.
Perhaps the effort should be directed to the forestry policy makers (provincial government) to require the companies making the waste to dispose of it in a way that makes it economical to use it for generating electricity.
4.) Making money from burning railway ties — I have been told that no agreement is in place between CN Rail and AP for burning of the ties and that CN is under no obligation to dispose of the old ties (they can be left to rot alongside the railways for all eternity).
So at this point AP does not stand to ‘make millions.’
I hope that people will do their own research and obtain all the facts before leaping to conclusions regarding the disposal of railway ties. The sky is not falling.
Mike Lynnes
150 Mile House