John van Dongen, MLA Abbotsford-South is questioning the recent nomination of Marvin Hunt as the BC Liberal Candidate for Surrey-Panorama. In a media interview with the Surrey Leader, Marvin Hunt identified himself as a proponent of building a waste-to-energy incinerator in North Surrey.
In the interview Hunt is reported as saying, “The critics need to see what has been accomplished in other areas of the world. Most of them cannot comprehend what has been done in Paris, they cannot comprehend it being right in the downtown. At this point in time, my proposal would be we put it in industrial areas that surround the downtown, possibly just off the South Fraser Perimeter Road.”
“It is unbelievable to me that the Premier is supporting the nomination of a BC Liberal candidate who is encouraging the building of an incinerator in the Lower Mainland,” said van Dongen. “Why would they nominate a candidate who is an advocate for a waste-to-energy incinerator which would directly impact our airshed and which is so strongly opposed by the citizens of the Fraser Valley?”
Earlier this week, van Dongen rose in Question Period to grill Environment Minister Terry Lake regarding Metro Vancouver’s lack of real and meaningful consultation with the Fraser Valley Regional District (FVRD) as he had previously promised.
Van Dongen reminded the Legislature that in July 2011 the minister made a controversial decision when he approved a solid waste management plan that opened the door for a large garbage-burning incinerator in the Lower Mainland expected to have a serious impact on the Fraser Valley airshed.
“I worked hard with the community and other leaders to shut down SE2 and I will continue to fight the incinerator project,” said van Dongen. “My question is, given the total lack of consultation by Metro Vancouver with the FVRD, is the BC Liberal government prepared to draw a line in the sand and stop any plans to build a large incinerator in the Lower Mainland? Citizens living in the Fraser Valley deserve to know where the BC Liberals truly stand on this issue.”