Compost facility ‘disappointed’ with Richmond’s plan to divert organic waste

Vancouver Sun

Officials at a smelly east Richmond compost facility are “disappointed” that the city plans to divert some of its organic waste to another composter.

“While we understand what the city has done and why they’ve done it, we’re a bit disappointed with it,” said Stephen Bruyneel, spokesman for Harvest Power. “At the same time we understand why they did it and we’re looking forward to working with them over the weeks to come.” …

Mayor Malcolm Brodie told Postmedia on Tuesday that the diversion will provide “short-term relief” from the odour issue. …

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Richmond first city to achieve E3 Fleet’s platinum rating for fleet management

Truck News

E3 Fleet has awarded the City of Richmond with the first platinum rating for its excellence in fleet management and environmental performance.

“An E3 fleet platinum rating is the highest mark of achievement for fleet management in Canada,” said Colin Hansen, chairman of the Fraser Basin Council, a charitable non-profit organization that founded and managed the E3 Fleet program over the last 10 years. “The City of Richmond has shown exceptional leadership by earning this rating, thanks to an unwavering commitment to making its entire fleet cleaner and more efficient.” …

“Richmond has long been committed to energy use reduction through innovation and conservation,” said Richmond mayor Malcolm Brodie. “Our Green Fleet program provides tremendous benefits for our community including reductions in greenhouse gas emissions and fuel costs.” …

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Organic waste intake to be reduced at Harvest Power

Richmond News

Come January, the City of Richmond will begin diverting organic waste it collects at townhouses and condos away from Harvest Power’s beleaguered waste-to-energy composting facility in east Richmond.

The announcement was made Monday evening by Mayor Malcolm Brodie.

The waste will go to a new, yet-to-be-named composter. …

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Richmond to begin diverting compost to ease odour concerns at Harvest Power

Vancouver Sun

There’s relief coming for Richmond residents who complained in recent months of bad smells coming from the Harvest Power compost facility.

At a council meeting Monday evening, Richmond city council approved the diversion of multi-family waste to a different facility, beginning on Jan. 1, 2017. Metro Vancouver has also decided to divert 35,000 tons per year from Vancouver and the North Shore Transfer Station away from the Harvest Power facility.

Richmond has also ordered Harvest Power to better manage its fumes within 90 days, and has approved $150,000 to pay for compliance officers and other measures to ensure the facility stays on track.

“It is a joint effort and all the parties are determined that they will get to the bottom of this,” said Mayor Malcolm Brodie on Tuesday. He called the actions announced by Richmond “short-term relief,” but said all parties are working together toward a long-term solution. …

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Richmond Adds Poppies To Street Signs To Remember City’s Fallen

604 Now

New poppy-adorned streets signs have blossomed in Richmond to commemorate local soldiers who lost their lives in military service.

To date, 61 streets in the city of Richmond have been named after local soldiers. …

“We owe a debt to our fallen soldiers that can never be paid,” said Mayor Malcolm Brodie. “This new street sign program is just one more way in which we can honour and remember those who made the ultimate sacrifice for their country.” …

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BC city eyes crackdown on ‘hotels’ taking advantage of farmland tax loophole

The Globe and Mail

A city in the heart of some of the most arable land in British Columbia has taken the first step toward preventing enormous houses from being erected on valuable agricultural land by investors and speculators, who enjoy a tax subsidy despite having no intention of farming. …

A handful of municipalities in the region, including Delta and Port Coquitlam, have already passed bylaws restricting house sizes on farmland, but Richmond’s mayor has said previous attempts to introduce similar rules weren’t met with broad support. Mayor Malcolm Brodie has suggested the B.C. government should implement provincewide rules, but the province says it’s a municipal issue. …

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Someone Stuffed Canadian Mailboxes With Anti-Chinese Fliers After Donald Trump’s Election

The Huffington Post

The residents of a Canadian city are in an uproar over offensive posters they recently received.

People in Richmond, British Columbia, a city with a large Chinese population, opened their mailboxes to find anti-Chinese fliers promoting the “alt-right,” a movement that embraces the idea that “white identity” is under attack, according to the Southern Poverty Law Center.

“Step aside, whitey! The Chinese are taking over!” the poster reads. …

The rhetoric on the fliers in “no way reflects” his community’s values, said Richmond Mayor Malcolm Brodie. “Richmond is known as an inclusive and harmonious community where all cultures feel welcome,” he said in a statement provided to The Huffington Post. “The views expressed in the flyer are misguided and shameful.” …

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Richmond, B.C. looks to address megahomes built on farmland

The Globe and Mail

Attempts to introduce a bylaw restricting the size of houses built on farmland have failed before in Richmond, but the municipality is looking at the issue again as frustrations mount over the loss to development of some of the best agricultural land in the province. …

Richmond Mayor Malcolm Brodie said the city has tried to tackle the problem in the past but couldn’t find broad support for a bylaw restricting house size. …

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BC considers tax changes for farmland speculators

The Globe and Mail

The B.C. government will consider proposals to impose higher property taxes on investors who buy agricultural land then reap huge tax benefits intended for farmers, not wealthy speculators. …

Richmond Mayor Malcolm Brodie raised concerns about the issue in letters to the provincial Agricultural Land Commission, which oversees the ALR, and to B.C. Agriculture Minister Norm Letnick this summer.

“In recent years, council has become concerned about a disturbing trend – that house sizes in the ALR have been increasing to the point where they are becoming too large and do not support agriculture viability,” Mr. Brodie wrote. …

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BC considers tax changes for farmland speculators

The Globe and Mail

The B.C. government will consider proposals to impose higher property taxes on investors who buy agricultural land then reap huge tax benefits intended for farmers, not wealthy speculators. …

Richmond Mayor Malcolm Brodie raised concerns about the issue in letters to the provincial Agricultural Land Commission, which oversees the ALR, and to B.C. Agriculture Minister Norm Letnick this summer.

“In recent years, council has become concerned about a disturbing trend – that house sizes in the ALR have been increasing to the point where they are becoming too large and do not support agriculture viability,” Mr. Brodie wrote.

He said that, in 2010, the average size of new houses being built on land in the ALR was 7,300 square feet, but many now are 24,000 sq. ft., and Richmond recently denied a building permit to one that was proposed at 41,000 sq. ft.

“These types of mega houses/buildings were never envisioned in the ALR, as they do not support agricultural viability and detract from achieving it,” said Mr. Brodie, who asked for provincial regulations to limit the maximum house size and house location on land in the ALR. …

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