Local MP will not back Kamloops gasification plant
A local MP said she cannot support a gasification plant in Kamloops, due to the fact the project lacks local political support and was not subject to an environmental assessment.
Kamloops-Thompson-Cariboo Conservative MP Cathy McLeod is raising questions about the process surrounding the Aboriginal Cogeneration Corporation’s plan to build a unit at Mission Flats Road that will chip creosote-soaked rail ties, then burn the waste to generate electricity.
McLeod plans to take her concerns to Ottawa today.
The province granted the Winnipeg company an air-discharge permit earlier this month, essentially giving the project the green light.
McLeod said she believes Sustainable Development Technology Canada (SDTC), the federal body responsible for funding the gasification project, shouldn’t have approved funding for an initiative that doesn’t have the support of local government.
City council was unanimous in its opposition to the project and is seeking an answer as to why a federal environmental assessment was not required.
SDTC is considered an arms-length federal organization; therefore, the projects it funds do not require environmental assessments.
McLeod said she has “serious concerns” about the process and its “lack of environmental controls and reporting requirements.”
