North Vancouver chlorine plant expansion rejection raises drinking water concerns - BERITAJA

The District of North Vancouver has rejected a scheme to support a awesome chlorine shaper operating long-term.

Chemtrade has been making liquid chlorine successful North Vancouver since 1957 and supplies much than 40 per cent of Canada’s drinking h2o curen needs.

The institution had been seeking rezoning support to proceed operations connected onshore adjacent to its existent location astatine the port, but that onshore is managed by the District of North Vancouver.

On Monday, assembly voted 4-3 against the rezoning approval.

Chemtrade Group’s vice-president of commercial, Alan Robinson, said they were not expecting that result.

“Surprised, disappointed, is the easiest measurement to summarize that,” he said.

Councillors who opposed the scheme said the biggest rumor was safety, including the consequence of a catastrophic chlorine release.

While assessments opportunity the installation meets existent standards, but immoderate opportunity that is nary longer enough.

“We are now successful an era wherever captious infrastructure, including chemic facilities, h2o systems, and power plants, are drone targets successful modern conflict,” said Catherine Pope, a District of North Vancouver councillor.

However, not everyone agrees.

“What satellite are we surviving on?” Port Coquitlam Mayor Brad West said.

“On that basis, you’re going to cull this? If we use that logic, we won’t person anything.”

Chemtrade says it has ne'er had a awesome information incident and support would person unlocked further information upgrades

The institution besides warns that shutting down could time off Western Canada relying connected the U.S. for liquid chlorine.

“What we’ll telephone the self-reliance aliases self-independence for Canada and keeping the plants unfastened that proviso cardinal industries that make Canada prosper here, we’d for illustration to spot the ballot spell successful a different guidance for us,” Robinson said.

Supporters called the installation a cardinal economical driver that relies connected the North Shore’s unsocial geography.

“It requires a very typical operation of rail, vehicle, and marine access, and I deliberation it’s going to beryllium very difficult to find different suitable site,” North Vancouver District councillor Jim Hanson said.

B.C. Jobs and Economic Growth Minister Ravi Kahlon said location should person been discussions pinch the province.

“For a determination to beryllium made for illustration that without engaging pinch the state aliases immoderate different communities depending connected it, I think, is problematic,” he said.

Chemtrade hopes the determination could beryllium revisited.

Meanwhile, West said Port Coquitlam would invited them “with unfastened arms.”