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New site for snow dumping debated
Mac Olsen
for South Peace News
The Town of High Prairie’s snow dumping site may be relocated from Jaycee Park to the former Kryzalka property.
The Town’s public works committee discussed the issue during their Sept. 7 meeting. Committee member Rick Dumont says the park’s aesthetics would be enhanced with another ball diamond or a soccer field if the site is relocated.
“I want to use that space for recreational purposes,” says Dumont. “I want to use it for an attractive purpose.”
It could also be attractive for the Corner Stone residential development north of E.W. Pratt, he adds.
Dumont wants a cost estimate for the town council’s 2010 budget deliberations. He made a motion and the other committee members, Arnold Aarts and Wilfred Willier, approved it.
The site is located across from the Youth Assessment Centre, near Jaycee Park. It was established there in approximately 1997 and there have been no concerns about environmental and health risks, says public works superintendent Vern Walker.
He provided a copy of the provincial government’s guidelines to the committee.
It says snow falling on municipal roads and highways may become mixed with contaminants such as suspended solids, organic chemicals, phosphates, dissolved salts, heavy metals, etc. The collection and removal of snow may pose a risk to the environment if they are not properly disposed.
Alberta Environmental Protection strongly discourages the direct dumping of waste snow into watercourses or onto ice-covered water bodies, as it may introduce contaminants to the water bodies and produces unsightly conditions, according to the guidelines.
“The preferred locations are inland sites. Such sites should be selected and designed to maximize treatment, minimize safety hazards and control the rate and location of snow melt discharges.”
They recommend against establishing dumping sites near landfills, agricultural land or utilities, as well as allowing children to use them for recreation.
They also recommend the sites be located in areas with sufficient storage capacity or adequate drainage to prevent flooding of adjacent lands. Other criteria include placing sites a minimum of 350 metres from existing or planned housing to mitigate noise, as well as maximizing exposure to the sun for rapid melting.
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