Regional District of Kitimat-Stikine

A new Public and Technical Advisory Committee (PTAC), comprised of members of the public, local government representatives, and industry and technical experts, has been formed to advise on the development of the new SWMP.
PTAC will advise the Regional District Board on the design and implementation of the SWMP consultation process, guiding principles, topics and supporting studies, and development of plan targets and strategies.
PTAC is looking for individuals that live in the following areas to represent their community on the committee: Electoral Area A (Stewart, Nass Valley); Electoral Area D (Telegraph, Iskut); Electoral Area F (Dease Lake); District of Stewart; and Village of Hazelton. If you live in one of these communities and would like to participate in PTAC, or if you would like information regarding the SWMP planning process, please contact the RDKS Environmental Services Coordinator.
To date, PTAC meetings have covered the following topics:
 January 15, 2019 meeting was a "Solid Waste Workshop,” which focused on the solid waste management planning process, the current solid waste management system in the RDKS and PTAC Committee business;
 February 12, 2019 meeting discussed the overarching theme of efficiency for the SWMP, as well as the Consultation Strategy and summary of SWMP consultation to date; and
 April 16, 2019 meeting covered the themes of reduction and reuse.
See the PTAC folder in ‘Related Documents’  for the PTAC Terms of Reference, meeting schedule, and presentations. S
See ‘Minutes and Agendas’  for PTAC meeting records.

Development of the SWMP will be guided by our Board of Directors directives to improve facility programs and efficiencies and will follow the BC Ministry of Environment Guide to Solid Waste Management Planning 2016.
The four-step process described in the Guide has been adapted by the Regional District during development of the new Plan.
For information related to the SWMP planning process, please see background and supporting documents in ‘Related Documents’ (left pane).

Step 1 included:
  
-  Review of the 1995 Solid Waste Management Plan, presented in the 1995 SWMP Plan Summary Report, January 2014;

-  Development of a recommended planning process, presented in the SWMP Review Process - Overview Memo, April 19, 2017;

-  Initial consultation with the Plan Monitoring Advisory Committee (PMAC) regarding the proposed planning process, presented in Development of a new SWMP , presentation to PMAC August 15, 2017;

-  Setting the plan area and assembling background information (including current waste management practices), presented in Assessment of the Current Solid Waste System - 2018 Update, Rev. 1.1, January 4, 2019;

-  Setting the Plan scope, budget and schedule, presented in the Step 1 Memo, January 30, 2018;
  
-  Drafting the intended consultation plan, as summarized in the Consultation Strategy for the Development of a Solid Waste Management Plan, Rev. 2.0; Updated February 1, 2019.

The listed documents can be accessed in the Step 1 folder in ‘Related Documents’.

Step 1 is now complete, and we are currently implementing Step 2 throughout 2019. Step 2 includes:
  
 Transition of PMAC to a Public and Technical Advisory Committee (PTAC) and solicitation of new membership to PTAC;
 Consultation with the public and stakeholders, as summarized in the Consultation Summary Report, DRAFT - V.1; February 2019;
 Soliciting feedback through the RDKS Solid Waste Survey, which was run through March 2019 and received over 900 responses;
 Setting plan objectives and exploring waste management options through review and discussion of identified solid waste topics with PTAC and stakeholders, as described in the Draft Topics for the Solid Waste Management Plan Revision, Rev. 1.1; January 2019 and as follows:
o The overarching SWMP theme of Efficiency, presented in Technical Memo 1, February 2019;
o Reduction and Reuse (theme of April 16, 2019 PTAC meeting):
 Reduction and reuse options, presented in Technical Memo 2, April 2019;
 Strategies to reduce single use items, presented in Technical Memo 3, April 2019;
 Food waste reduction strategy, presented in Technical Memo 4, April 2019;
 Waste management space in new commercial construction, presented in Technical Memo 5, April 2019;
 Deconstruction versus demolition, presented in Technical Memo 6, April 2019;
o Recycle (scheduled for the September 2019 PTAC meeting):
 Recycling collection in the Hazelton and Highway 37 North Service Area
 Options for compost collection and organics processing in the Hazelton and Highway 37 North Service Area
 Expansion of the list of Prohibited Wastes
 Household hazardous waste collection
 Curbside audits
 Solid waste source control and enforcement for the Industrial, Commercial and Institutional (ICI) sector
 Setting an upper limit on the acceptable cost of recycling cardboard and printed paper and plastic
o Residuals Management at Existing Facilities (scheduled for November 2019 PTAC meeting):
 Limits on municipal-type solid waste (MSW) from industry and outside the RDKS
 Access to services/facilities in other service areas within the RDKS
 Contaminated soil handling and use
 Landfill gas utilization/carbon credits
 Strategies to assist in the prevention of illegal dumping
 Setting parameters for acceptable liquid waste brought to RDKS solid waste facilities
o Residuals Management at New Facilities (scheduled for January 2020 PTAC meeting):
 Telegraph Creek and Dease Lake waste management solution
 Potential participation of District of Kitimat in the Terrace Service Area
o Cost Recovery: Review of the cost recovery model in the Terrace Service Area and the Hazelton and Highway 37 North Service Area

Step 3 will include developing potential strategies, assessing the financial and administrative implications, and ongoing stakeholder consultation.

Step 4 will include preparing the new draft Solid Waste Management Plan, further consultation with stakeholders and preparing the final Plan for submission to the Ministry of Environment.
The planning and consultation process is expected to take approximately two years, with estimated completion in 2020.

Join the "Involved Working Group" to keep informed as the Solid Waste Plan develops and provide your input. Members of the Involved Working Group will receive regular email updates, including PTAC  agendas, reports and minutes.
Members are invited to become involved through focused workshops or meetings (on request) regarding waste management topics directly affecting your interests. 
The public will have opportunities to provide input on plan goals and guiding principles through public surveys and open houses. The first public survey, run through March 2019, received over 900 responses. Survey responses are used to guide and support the direction of the new SWMP.
Public input will also be sought later in the process through another survey and a series of open houses.
Please contact the Environmental Services Coordinator if you wish to be included in the SWMP Involved Working Group.