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[Jonny 5]

Anyone ever seen silt in the coquitlam river?  Nice to see that poco has some decent politcos



 
 
By Kate TrotterThe Tri-City News
Oct 19 2005
Coquitlam council postponed a routine approval of a permit to operate a gravel mine so it could get information about whether silt is being discharged into the Coquitlam River

Coun. Fin Donnelly said at Monday's council meeting that he wants confirmation that the gravel mine is not causing silt to enter the river at a level of more than 75 milligrams per litre (75mg/l) above background siltation

But, Donnelly said Tuesday, he doesn't know if the data exists. "I would think... I hope it does but I don't know. [Department of Fisheries and Oceans] won't give it to us specifically for this. That has been the frustration in the past: Why can't we get this information?

Donnelly said he doesn't think DFO is monitoring the Coquitlam River. "I highly doubt it or else we would have heard about it," he said, "because if they had any information that was damaging to the gravel operators, they would prosecute them.

It could also mean there is nothing to prosecute and silt in the river is coming from sloughs or other natural sources

Jim Allard, whose family gravel operation is technically in limbo because the permit approval was deferred, is also frustrated. He said the data Donnelly and other councillors seek is collected by gravel operators and is available to Department of Mines inspectors who can alert DFO if there are concerns about readings

But Allard said there is no silt entering the river from his gravel mine. "None," he said. "Absolutely zero.

Water used in processing - such as washing gravel or cleaning cement - is recycled on site and the final filtration leaves water clean enough to drink, he said. Rainwater that collects silt as it drains off the gravel mine is also collected on site and screened and settled, Allard said

"There is no discharge," he said

But Donnelly said he wants proof before approving the permit, which is like a business licence and can only be denied by council with good grounds. Donnelly said if operators are putting silt in the river, that is grounds enough for him to deny it

He and councillors Louella Hollington, Maxine Wilson and Barrie Lynch voted to postpone approving the operating permit until it gets the information; councillors Mae Reid and Bill LeClair, and Mayor Jon Kingsbury argued against deferral.

It is a familiar dance for Allard and some council members, two of whom, Donnelly and Hollington, sit on the Aggregate Task Force, which meets to find ways to reduce the impact of gravel mining on the river

Allard said that DFO and the provincial environment ministry rarely show up at task force meetings and he interprets the no-show as proof that they don't see siltation as a problem

Last year, a majority of Coquitlam councillors also voted to withhold an operating permit until Mayor Kingsbury said the city could get sued if it didn't issue it for no good reason

This year, Coun. Bill LeClair said that the Department of Mines, which has already given its approval for the mine to operate, supersedes the city. All that council's action does, he said, "is create more paperwork.

ktrotter@tricitynews.com
 

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http://www.tricitynews.com/portals-code/list.cgi?paper=74&cat=23&id=512632&more=

[Coho Cody]

tell me about it. all from the Cewe gravel crap in the upper river. Goverment doesn't give a d**m about the problimatic rivers.

[newsman]

Been a problem for years, many of us have seen the silt line across the river. You can see it for yourself, just wait for a forcast of rain that does not happen. A light rain will work too. Go up to the hatchery and walk down the river and observe how clear the water is below the dam (interesting how dams help keep rivers from blowing out). Eventually you will come around a bend and see a line of brown across the river like a blanket. I guess this is where the river blows out (excuse me while I remove my tounge fro my cheek). Now walk due west and what do you walk into a gravel mine. Can't be Allard's because his mine does not dump silt into the river. Dam I wish someone could figure this one out!

[Rodney]

FYI:

At Coquitlam Council’s meeting of Monday, Oct. 17th, the annual renewal of the soil removal permit for the gravel pit operators was delayed by one month Monday, Nov. 7th.

Under procedure Bylaw 3616, you can contact the Office of the City Clerk (604-927-3010, FAX: 604-927-3015) and make application to appear before council. It’s a one page form requesting your name, address, and telephone number, the reason you wish to appear before Council, the date at which you wish to appear (Nov. 7th), who and how many you are representing and the number of Coq. residents you’re representing. If successful, you’ve got 5 minutes in front of them, maximum.

We are hopeful our application will be accepted and look forward to seeing you there in support of it.
Thanks in advance for the help. I hope to see you there. Let’s be heard!

Hoy/Scott Watershed Society