RDCK urged to reject ostrich carcass disposal and avoid ‘environmental risk’

Plea to refuse ostriches

Photo: Google streetview

A community group is urging the regional district to refuse to accept at the Ootischenia Landfill (above) the nearly 400 ostriches that could be killed in the cull from Edgewood's Universal Ostrich Farms.

An environmental catastrophe is brewing if the regional district accepts disposal of the 400 soon-to-be-culled ostrich carcasses, a local community group says.

The Regional District of Central Kootenay (RDCK) said it had received an operational certificate from the provincial Environment Ministry for its landfill in Castlegar to handle the disposal of “avian influenza-infected waste,” if the culling of nearly 400 ostriches from Universal Ostrich Farms near Edgewood occurs.

However, the group identifying themselves as the Kootenay Tribe are asking the RDCK to reject the Canadian Food Inspection Agency’s (CFIA) plan to dispose of the ostriches in the Ootischenia Landfill, following the CFIA’s clearance Tuesday to cull birds from the Edgewood farm.

The ostrich disposal risks environmental catastrophe, echoing the HB Mines landfill contamination that cost RDCK taxpayers millions of dollars, a statement from the Kootenay Tribe claimed.

“The HB Mines debacle showed us the devastating cost of ignoring environmental risks and RDCK bad decision making,” the statement read.

“Taxpayers have been paying millions of dollars in environmental fees for HB Mines; fees that residents were not involved in the decision to purchase, but have been paying the costs ever since for that environmental disaster.”

The carcasses would be classified as hazardous waste if disposed of, and there is no prior environmental impact assessment, the Tribe contended.

“Risks include groundwater contamination from inadequate leachate management and hazardous gas emissions (methane, ammonia), as the landfill may lack capacity to handle such waste,” it read.

According to The Canadian Press, RDCK communications coordinator Dan Elliott said they received the landfill certificate to possibly handle the dead ostriches in January, adding the district has not received any information on when a possible cull would happen.

“In response to the need to manage avian influenza disease, the Regional District of Central Kootenay has received an operational certificate from the provincial Ministry of Environment and Parks to handle the disposal of the avian influenza infected waste if the culling of the ostriches goes ahead,” Elliott said.

— with files from The Canadian Press