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Kitimat seeks input on residents about planned rock quarry near Cable Car

An application for a rock quarry has the District looking to residents about how they feel about the project.

Councillor Mario Feldhoff wants to know whether the town as a whole thinks we need another rock quarry.

Residents in Cable Car specifically are going to be surveyed on their opinion after the government ministry that looks after lands matters sought comment on an application from the District of Kitimat.

Kitimat, then, is going to the people for feedback.

The proposal is for a quarry and borrow pi east of Highway 37 in the area between Hirsch Creek Park and Cable Car, and across the highway from the landfill.

Council wanted the chance to poll the neighbourhood residents on the plan and a comment deadline for the request of a licence of occupation by Daudet Creek Contracting for the Ministry of Forests, Lands and Natural Resources has been extended to November 20.

Among the concerns already flagged by Kitimat  staff is the potential for air quality impacts on Cable Car (open burning is proposed as the means for wood waste) and what noise levels will be for the neighbourhood.

While polling residents was the core of council’s original motion it was later amended to include a referral to the town’s Advisory Planning Commission for comment, and for advertising in local media.

Feldhoff believed a new rock pit was a concern for the greater community.

“I think it’s very important to get input from Cable Car residents from a noise perspective...but this is a fairly large area on the entrance to our community and I think that the Advisory Planning Commission should be given an opportunity to comment and the greater community should be made aware of it,” he said.

Claire Rattée, who moved the original motion, was against the suggestion of advertising at this time, worried that it would duplicate advertising that would be required at later stages anyway.

“People are going to hear about it anyways, we would just end up having to do advertisements twice.”

But Feldhoff maintained the importance he felt there was. The amendment was eventually approved, and the overall motion passed unanimously.

The District will receive comments up to November 16.

Information on how to comment is online here.