For years, residents of Lavington have had to endure fallout and smoke pollution from wood waste burners at Tolko and Riverside. Tolko has not met the requirements of their permit and the Ministry of Environment has not enforced those requirements except to place Tolko on a polluters list at times. Ministers have paid lip service to closing the burners but the burners continue to pollute as they get extension after extension. Now they want a further extension.

A letter was sent to stakeholders by the Ministry of Environment on April 28, 1998. In summary, the Regional Office in Penticton is supporting a communal burner in Lavington. This is supposedly for a limited duration but then this burner is still operating after a firm statement from the Minister that the burner must be phased out on June 30, 1997.

Can anything this Ministry says be believed?

What kind of traffic increase are we facing if this happens? These vehicles are expected to come from as far as Oyama, Enderby, and Lumby. They are to use Hill Drive to reach Tolko. What additional dustfall would we have to endure from this so-called "efficient" Olivine burner?

There is no doubt that other locations would have improved their air quality if their burners close but what about Lavington? Why would anyone want to have a communal burner 100 yards from a large school? If a communal burner is such a good idea, why not have it at Riverside where there are fewer homes and no school adjacent to the burner.

On face value it would appear that the Ministry of Environment has little concern for Lavington, the residents, or the children. They could point to an improvement because other burners would close.

Stakeholders can provide input on burner extensions until May 15, 1998. Coldstream Council (call the Mayor, he says Council has not decided what their position is), Lavington Community Association, Lumby Council (this Council has voted to support extensions to Riverside and Tolko burners to the end of 1999 and a central location), NORD (they agreed to support an extension to the end of 1999 for Riverside), North Okanagan Health Unit, School District No.22 (Vernon) (Ask Mr. Greenan, the Sect. Treasurer, what their answer is. Children and people with breathing problems are at risk from air borne particulates according to a Ministry of Health study done in 1993. Some 300 children attend Lavington school.). THE PUBLIC are also stakeholders.

Call the Principal and teachers at the Lavington school. They know of the hazards to the children if they will only tell you. Slowly we are hearing about the large numbers of children having breathing difficulties at the school.

In 1993 the Ministry Of Environment issued a report on wood residue management that
identified alternatives to burning. This was a joint task force report by Government and Forest Industry Associations. Is 5 years not enough time to resolve this issue?

IF THIS IS TO BE STOPPED CALL THE MINISTRY OF ENVIRONMENT IN
PENTICTON BEFORE MAY 15, 1998! FREE AT 1-800-461-1127! ASK FOR MIKE REINER AND REGISTER YOUR COMPLAINT!

ALSO WRITE THE MINISTER OF ENVIRONMENT IN VICTORIA, PARLIAMENT BUILDINGS, V8V 1X4. DO IT BEFORE MAY 15, 1998! WHILE THERE IS STILL TIME!

May 2, 1998
"address"

To whom it may concern,

I am a resident of Lavington and have just received information that I find shocking and this letter is my reaction to this information.

For years we have been waiting for someone to do something about the foul air in this beautiful little community. The Provincial Government has assured the community the burner at the local mill will be shut down and we have been waiting patiently. Now I hear of a proposal to truck in wood waste from up to 8 other wood mills and from our western neighbors in Coldstream.

My patience has run out! There is some incredible irresponsibility occurring here.

The burner was to originally be terminated on Jan. 1, 1996 because it is classified as a TIER1 (close to school, health care facility or residential housing). TIER1 is the MOST dangerous. If you wish to review a comprehensive study done for the Provincial Government it is readily available. I recommend YOU read it.

How this situation can go unchecked by those employees in the health field, those employed at the school and CUPE, by local politicians, by the environmental authorities, and by the Provincial Government causes me to question the motives of these people. For some reason, beyond MY comprehension, people are not doing their jobs. Are not these groups paid or elected to watch out for and remedy these situations for the residents of this community. Why does it have to go on until their are victims to intervene?

I am very busy with my own responsibilities and it infuriates me to have to do this but I have children in the Lavington Elementary Community School. This school, just across the fence from the mill, has 280 STUDENTS and STAFF who need help. There are more and more children in the school with respiratory illnesses and still the smoke from the mill next door drifts over the school. This COMMUNITY of about 2000 residents needs help. Our NEIGHBORS of Vernon, Armstrong, Enderby, Lumby, and Coldstream have many more people who require your intervention, they don't want this health hazard hanging over them either.

This area has already been identified as one of the worst in the province for air quality by another government study. Please, I insist you REGISTER this complaint and keep it on file; you may need it as this situation escalates. Will you please help STOP the BURNING . A reply would be much appreciated. Thank you.

Sincerely,
"name"

Thank you for your input into this continuing problem of our air quality in Lavington.

Yes we do need to address this situation. I did call last time to register my complaints, obviously the calls they received didn't have any impact if they are thinking of now having a communal burner located here.This communal burner should definately be located in an area that is not so populated and where a school is not within a short distance away. I am shocked to learn that a communal burner would even be considered for Lavington.

Why have they not considered alternatives for the burning? In Ontario we did not burn but hauled it away to the paper mills and they burned it in their boilers to produce steam. In a province that is so evironmentally [conscious] as B.C. claims to be I cannot understand why they would ever let burning continue and then to let it continue in a neighbourhood like Lavington is beyond my comprehension.

Our children and adults are at risk for health problems. I have seen my neighbours children sick many times with breathing problems.

Our homes will be devalued as further people realize that Lavington will be supporting a communal burner, and by moving here they will put their health at risk, and our properties are constantly covered in fly ash.

I will be calling and writing to Mayor Kiss and the Ministry of Environment in Penticton.

Sincerely
"name"

May 5, 1998
"address"
Coldstream BC

To Whom it may concern,

Just the other day I learned that the TOLKO sawmill in Lavington has once again decided that it's wood burner should stay. It may also consider allowing up to eight other mills to bring their wood waste to Lavington to be bur