Itās not the answer they wanted.
Yankee Flats residents Deneen Tomlinson and Brittany Moore live near Spa Hills Compost and say the stench emanating from the compost operation continues unabated, driving them indoors for another summer. They and many of their neighbours are hoping some level of government will take action to address their issues.
Moore and Tomlinson had hoped that since the Columbia Shuswap Regional District (CSRD) board turned down a Spa Hillsā request to increase the primary composting and curing area in April, they would have seen, or at least heard of, some government action.
But this is information that neither the Ministry of Environment or Columbia Shuswap Regional District are prepared to reveal at this time.
āSince the board denied first reading of Spa Hillsā bylaw amendment application in April, a bylaw enforcement plan has been developed, and the process is ongoing,ā reads a July 2 email from the regional district, which notes it is not their practice to share information within active bylaw enforcement files. āAs there is a legal process involved, the CSRD will not be commenting further.ā
The Ministry of Environmentās response is equally succinct.
āThe Ministry conducted a site inspection in May and is working towards completion of the inspection report in the coming weeks,ā notes MOE in a July 2 email, advising that the associated inspection record will be publicly available at (search keyword āSpa Hillsā to see the detailed findings of the inspection) seven days following issuance to the regulated party.
The date of that inspection is also a disappointment as the women say the spring melt revealed a large area of leachate that had dried up by the time the inspection took place.
In the meantime, Moore and Tomlinson, say they continue to suffer with āhorrendousā odours that prevent them from enjoying outdoor activities.
Beyond the smell, the women say water samples have revealed a high level of phthalates in a deep well north of the facility and some in the Salmon River. A group of chemicals used to make plastic more flexible and durable, phthalates raise concerns due to their potential as endocrine disruptors and links to health problems like developmental issues, reproductive problems, and certain cancers.
But Spa Hills Compost owner Josh Mitchell says a special device removes plastic from the material Spa Hills receives, addressing all but .3 per cent of plastic contamination.
āThe machine sucks the plastic out and it goes to the dump,ā he says.
Mitchell says he is working with both MOE and CSRD and does not wish to speak at this time, other than to point out his company has āmade major improvements and things are looking better.ā
He added that new inventions are always appearing and he will continue to improve all areas of the composting facility.
Tomlinson and Moore say there are some 40 Yankee Flats Road residents who have provided victim impact statements and an active protest group of about 20.
Frustrated by a lack of communication, the women say their MLA promised to look into the matter during a December 2024 phone call but has since failed to do so. As well, Interior Health initially said it would follow-up on the phthalate issue but later said they would wait for MOE findings.
With $7,000 in support from West Coast Environmental Law, several residents hired lawyer Angela McCue, who wrote a second letter to the regional district on June 25.
A follow-up to her Oct. 7 2024 letter, McCue seeks a response to her original letter as well as enforcement action by the CSRD against Spa Hills āin relation to the serious, ongoing, long-term bylaw violations, and a brief update regarding recent ongoing developments and bylaw violations at the Spa Hills site."
Outlining a list of violations over time, McCue asks the CSRD to seek an injunction in BC Supreme Court to require Spa Hills to downsize its facility to bring its production levels into compliance with the current bylaw.
Being a legal matter, the issue will be considered in camera, leaving residents without answers for the moment.
