District of Kitimat mayor Phil Germuth’s bid to pass a motion from council urging Rio Tinto to consider installing scrubbers was defeated last week.
Presented before council the proposed motion was keenly anticipated by concerned community members and environmental activists who packed the public gallery to capacity.
“Whereas fewer sulphur dioxide (S02) emissions are beneficial for human health and the environment, and whereas lower overall emissions in the airshed will provide more opportunity for additional economic development opportunities to strengthen the region, it is resolved that District of Kitimat supports the installation of S02 scrubbers at the Rio Tinto smelter and that this position be communicated to the Province of B.C. and Rio Tinto,” read the motion.
While the motion acknowledged Rio Tinto’s significant investment and commitment to the region and referred to a significant reduction in SO2 being released by the plant, it also emphasized that the installation of the scrubbers would negate the need for “long-term monitoring that may eventually determine the discharge does adversely affect the public’s and environmental health.”
“The motion’s intent is to communicate the community’s desire to see scrubbers installed at the smelter to ensure the long-term viability of the region’s health and economic prosperity.”
The motion was discussed at length by all the councillors before a vote was taken. The motion was voted against by councillors Mario Feldhoff, Edwin Empinado, Rob Goffinet and Mary Murphy, and supported by mayor Germuth and councillors Larry Walker and Claire Rattée.
Goffinet was quite explicit in his opposition to the motion, saying that passing the motion could be perceived as council not being in support of Rio Tinto and further industrial development.
“Whether you like it or not, all the indicators, all the reports coming back to various bodies within in the community by the Ministry (of Environment) is that the Rio Tinto smelter is adhering to all the specification of the 2015 permit,” said Goffinet.
He also stressed that an appeal launched against the granting of the permit in 2015 had been turned down by a judicial panel.
“We have been told in meetings by people with an engineering bent that to disperse, neutralize and take up all the SO2 generated by the smelter, 42 tons a day, would take 50,000 tons (of water) per hour, 1.2 million tons of water a day,” said Goffinet, referring to proposals for seawater scrubbers.
He added that 2018 is the last year of the present permit and that the District should ensure that it participates in the Environmental Effects Monitoring program review in 2019.
“No-one is saying, according to the permit, that Rio Tinto is not complying.”
Germuth replied that the intent of the motion was not to overturn the permit, but that when the permit comes up for review, that the District’s position is known.
Councillor Mary Murphy decried the proposal for its lack of input from the Haisla Nation Council, and disputed the fact that there was even a need for scrubbers.
“Our airshed is the cleanest and you’ve got lots of room in the airshed for all the proposed projects,” said Murphy.
She also had reservations about seawater scrubbers and the “dumping of effluent into the water in front of the First Nations village.”
“If you were taking 1.2 million tons of water out of the ocean, cleaning it up, throwing it up in three great big Olympic pools and bringing the temperature down, and by the way dumping it right back in front of my yard, I would be pretty upset about it,” said Murphy.
Councillor Mario Feldhoff, reading from a prepared speech, stressed that “salt water scrubbers are not a panacea” and encouraged the ministry and Rio Tinto to further communicate aspects of the permit with the public on why the current course of action was chosen.
“Politically it would be expedient to go along with (the motion), but a closer view of the facts has led me to a different conclusion,” said Feldhoff.
“I am concerned with the unintended economic consequences should the motion before us pass in its present form. I unfortunately cannot support the motion at this time.”
Councillor Larry Walker said the current measurements of the SO2 levels didn’t take into consideration any longterm effects on the community.
“They said ‘so far SO2 readings at the residential areas have been average’. The words ‘so far’ - they’re not looking ahead.”
“(The readings don’t) foresee what’s going to happen in 5, 10 or 20 years from now when most of us probably won’t be here. The status quo is totally unacceptable. We have got to move, they have got to move. By they I mean Rio Tinto and government.”
Councillor Edwin Empinado said he would have liked to have seen a better motion presented to council.
“What I would like to see is a motion that creates a constant dialogue between the proponents and the agencies.”
Councillor Claire Rattée said it was clear the motion would not pass and that council should consider reworking it so that it was more likely to pass.
“What’s important to remember is that obviously we are concerned with the health and environmental impacts. It’s also important to remember that at the end of the day (Rio Tinto is) a corporation. They were given a permit and they were following that permit,” said Rattée.
She said she didn’t take issue with a company that’s trying to make money not installing equipment that is very expensive that they’re not required to install.
“I think we need to take this up with the government if that’s what we feel needs to happen. If our community doesn’t feel that they did due diligence on that then that’s what needs to be brought to government.
“They’re the ones that need to be held accountable for the decisions that are made as they’re the ones doing the permitting.”
A town hall meeting hosted by Unifor Local 2301 to discuss pollution in Kitimat will be held on Saturday, February 3 from 1 to 3 p.m. Speakers will include Germuth for a community perspective, Chris Tollefson and Jason Gratl for a legal perspective, Mike Schmidt for the union’s perspective and Shawn Zettler and Conner Hodes for the Rio Tinto perspective. The town hall will take place at 235 Enterprise Avenue.