The Kwantlen Student Association (KSA) opposes the plan to buy a new waste incinerator in Metro Vancouver and they are organizing opportunities for students to send messages to elected officials. BC’s Environment Minister Barry Penner has recently received the proposed regional Waste Management Plan from Metro Vancouver. The KSA is joining with other organizations collecting letters to Penner calling on him to expand waste reduction instead of purchasing a waste incinerator.

"Spending half a billion dollars on a new incinerator which they seem to think will just make garbage magically disappear is not appropriate. It is irresponsible to put this enormous debt on us in order to build something that would expose us to toxins and contribute to climate change," said Ashley Fehr Director of Operations for the Kwantlen Student Association.

The KSA is working with the Wilderness Committee to launch their campaign to oppose waste incineration at the KSA’s annual Cram Jam event on September 9, 2010 where a table will be set up with letters to send to Surrey Mayor Dianne Watts and Minister Penner, and a laptop computer to send emails.

"The Cache Creek Landfill could be closed simply by enforcing existing bans on materials such as paper and cardboard, and by banning compostable organic waste from landfill by 2015 as Metro Vancouver Directors have suggested in the proposed Waste Management Plan," said Wilderness Committee Healthy Communities Campaigner Ben West.

"We are happy the KSA is taking a stand on this important issue and helping to spread the word to students south of the Fraser because their elected officials are playing a critical role in all of this," said West.

At Metro Vancouver’s meeting of July 30th, directors debated putting out a call for proposals to build an incinerator in region or out of region for hours. Ultimately, when the meeting was deadlocked, Surrey Mayor Watts played a key role in switching her vote from a similar motion earlier in the meeting. Mayor Watts had originally opposed any option that would include proposals for an incinerator in region, only supporting the out of region option.

The motion that Watts supported in the end called for proposals from either in region or out of region to be considered, and to include considering alternative technologies using an independent consultant to examine the proposals.

Had Watts not changed her vote, this recommendation would not be before Minister Penner. The students’ association would like to see Mayor Watts take a stronger stance and promise to oppose buying a new incinerator.

"Mayor Watts could have ensured we wouldn't see an incinerator built in the region. The board will have a hard time getting enough votes to support a proposal without her vote, so we want to make sure that she stands by her decision to respect the wishes of the Fraser Valley and promises not let this new incinerator get built," said Fehr.

The Fraser Valley Regional District voted unanimously to oppose incineration due to concerns about Fraser Valley air quality. The Fraser Valley Chamber of Commerce and Fraser Valley MLAs have also come out against the incineration proposal.

“I read the scientific reports at airquality.ca and it’s clear the Fraser Valley air shed is sensitive and needs to be protected. We would like to see Mayor Watts go further and oppose incineration altogether but the least she can do is be a good neighbour and help protect the Fraser Valley’s air quality by opposing in region incineration and encouraging waste reduction," said Fehr.

The Kwantlen Student Association represents over 18,000 students enrolled at the four Metro Vancouver campuses of Kwantlen Polytechnic University. The Wilderness Committee is Canada's largest membership-based wilderness preservation organization

For more information please contact:

Ben West, Wilderness Committee Healthy Communities Campaigner, 604 710 5340

Nathan Griffiths, Kwantlen Student Association Media Coordinator, 604 779 7499