Regional district directors are searching for alternatives to dumping the 12 pontoons and two piers from the old floating bridge into Okanagan Lake.
They will ask SNC Lavalin and the Ministry of Transportation for a copy of the environmental study on plans to sink the concrete pontoons and the two semi-floating liftspan piers.
They also want an extension of the 30-day deadline for responding to the disposal application under the provincial Environmental Management Act.
When directors received the June 18 letter on Monday, they had less than two weeks to respond.
Westside director Doug Findlater said the proposal “sends the wrong message,” which he says should be: “Clean up after yourself.”
Anyone else who tried to dump 11,000 cubic metres of concrete into the lake would be in trouble, he said, adding the concrete should be reprocessed.
However, Westside Mayor Rosalind Neis said more greenhouse gases could be produced from reprocessing than by sinking.
Lake Country Mayor James Baker wanted to know what studies have been done, and whether alternatives and their cost had been explored.
Regional chairman Robert Hobson reminded directors they currently don‘t have a plan for the pontoons, and SNC Lavalin can‘t simply pile them up somewhere while alternatives are explored.
The regional district has commissioned a moorage study scheduled to be completed in the fall, he added, and directors could ask that the disposal not proceed until after that study is complete.
Baker noted the pontoons would provide 1,300 metres of moorage.
If the regional district established a new large marina, it could potentially serve the entire lake because there is such a shortage, he said.
Kelowna Coun. Carol Gran described the discussion as “politics because people are upset.” Old vessels are routinely sunk into the ocean, she pointed out. Top of Page
