The Regional District of Bulkley-Nechako’s (RDBN) suspension of cardboard ban at the Knockholt landfill until Nov. 1 has been extended by the regional district roughly for a period of one to two months, depending on when the alternate bailing facility becomes ready.
The RDBN had been looking for alternatives to dispose off the cardboard waste and in June they announced that they would be reinstating the ban on industrial, commercial and institutional cardboard at the Knockholt Landfill starting August 1, 2020. However, this ban would have meant that the businesses and institutions that were using the landfill to get rid of their cardboard waste, would need an alternative solution. Later, in August the board announced in a press release that they would be suspending the cardboard ban at the Knockholt landfill on a month-by-month basis until November 1.
In a recent RDBN meeting held on Oct. 22, the board passed the motion to extend this suspension of the ban by another one to two months. Shortly after reinstating the ban in July, the board was approached by a private business interested in establishing a receiving and bailing facility in the region.
One of the major hurdles in making this a reality was finding a suitable place for setting up the establishment. However, according to a report presented during the board meeting, Director of Environmental Services Alex Eriksen mentioned that the private business had been able to zero in on a location and were in the stages of finalizing the leasing agreement. Eriksen also mentioned that the business informed him that they would be able to prepare and repair the facility once a contract was finalized and that would take at least four weeks. The staff working on the issue is anticipating Dec. 4 to be the date for the new receiving and bailing facility to be operational, however, some flexibility would be required to leave a margin for construction and weather-related delays according to Eriksen.
The Knockholt Landfill has been receiving and contributing ICI cardboard from the western region of the RDBN, to the landfill since May 2019, when a fire destroyed the receiving facility in Smithers.
The current suspension of the ban will remain in place until the private business completes and puts in place an alternative receiving facility, after which the board will be reinstating the ban at the Knockholt Landfill for ICI cardboard.
Priyanka Ketkar
Multimedia journalist
@PriyankaKetkar
priyanka.ketkar@ldnews.net
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