Nanaimo has been listed as one of four jurisdictions where proponents vying for a Metro Vancouver contract to build a new waste-to-energy facility have secured sites for a potential project.
On Thursday, Metro Vancouver released a document showing the results of a Nov. 15 deadline for nine identified proponents to submit sites they had secured for their specific use only.
Included in the list is 650 Jackson Rd. and 850/870 Jackson Rd. in Duke Point, submitted by Wheelabrator Technologies Inc. and European firm Urbaser, which are proposing an incinerator to burn excess Metro Vancouver garbage. The two companies are working with Seaspan Ferries, which owns the sites.
The other three sites published by Metro Vancouver are located in Squamish First Nation at Port Mellon, Delta and Vancouver.
The regional government has also compiled a list of six sites submitted by private and public land owners that would be potentially open to all proponents, said Paul Henderson, solid waste services manager for Metro. However, the sites will not be made public until spring, he said.
Henderson said that Metro will begin consultations with prospective host communities early in the new year. When asked if lack of support from a community would be a deal-breaker, Henderson replied: "All I can do is speak to the process, and absolutely, demonstrated community support will be a key element."
Mayor John Ruttan said he was hoping for more information about which sites were favoured by Metro. Councillors Bill McKay and Jim Kipp attended the announcement of the sites Thursday.
McKay said he wants more information on how community consultation will be done. "It's going to be confusing to everybody concerned about who (Metro) is going to talk to," he said.
