Photo: Contributed

Site of the Proposed Organics Composting Site

The Regional District of Okanagan-Similkameen is asking for public feedback about proposed organics composting facility at Campbell Mountain. 

Residents within the Campbell Mountain Service Area (includes all or parts of Electoral Areas B, D, E, F, G, and I, City of Penticton and Village of Keremeos) will be able to provide feedback until Oct. 2.

An electronic town hall will be held Sept. 30 from 6 p.m. to 7 p.m. with RDOS and City of Penticton members along with a consulting and engineering firm to answer questions and provide information on the organic composting facility.

Currently the RDOS is working with the City to build a facility that can compost the wastewater solids as well as food and yard waste organics.  The new operation would be designed to hold up to 35,000 tonnes of organic materials per year and the plan would implement odour controls and paving the site to contain leachate.

In their findings, the RDOS reported 40 per cent of waste entering landfills comes from food waste and other organic materials in the Regional District by weight. 

Composting is the best way to help divert waste from going to landfills, according to the Solid Waste Management Plan.

The submitted feedback will be shared with the Board at a future meeting and help make a decision on whether to support submitting the ALR Exclusion application to the Agricultural Land Commission for the purpose of constructing the compost facility.

Information on how to sign up and join the meeting can be found online here.