A green hydrogen facility in Campbell River is a small step closer to a reality at the former Elk Falls pulp mill site, although the initial stages haven't come without concern from residents in the neighbourhood.
A group in the Painter-Barclay area is up in arms about the proposal to the City of Campbell River to build a renewable energy facility and add new industrial uses to the property at 4405 North Island Highway. It is owned by NTE Discovery Park Ltd.
In more than 15 letters emailed to the city in early October, residents expressed their concerns with the zoning changes. Some concerns include public safety, potential decreases in property values, the need for a buffer zone, health hazards of bio-fuel production, and whether independent risk assessments have been done.
In July, Painter Barclay resident Chris Willcott launched a petition opposing the changes. By October, it had about 192 signatures of its target of 200. The petition cites statistics from the Cornell Lab of Ornithology that show areas with significant human activity have seen a marked decrease in bird populations, such as eagles.
Willcott said he is especially worried a buffer of forest land between the industrial activity and his neighbourhood will be removed. He said he felt the community wasn't given all the answers during public meetings held by a consulting firm over the summer.
"I want to know what they're planning," Willcott said. "When you show people a plan, they are a lot easier going once they understand things.
"I think there is information that we're not being given, and my neighbours feel that way, too," Willcott continued. "We just want to be enlightened on what's going on here. What are they trying to hide, and what is their endgame."
Discovery Park proposed a text change to the current industrial two-zoned land to allow all uses permitted in the industrial one zone. It also requested adding these new uses: indoor agriculture, a renewable energy and fuel facility, and a data centre.
The property is designated as a "business and industrial service centre" in the city's community plan. A City of Campbell River report states the proposed text change aligns with this designation, and city staff had no concerns about the additional uses, including the renewable energy and fuel facility.
"It is proposed to be a green hydrogen production (plant) that does not emit greenhouse gases or pollutants, (such as) carbon dioxide, nitrogen oxides, sulfur oxides, or particulate matter," states the city's report.
If the project advances as planned, "the initial phase would be about the size of a shipping container, with full build-out estimated to occupy about five per cent of the former mill site," states the report.
In an email response to the Mirror, a spokesperson with Aplin Martin, the consulting firm hired by Discovery Park, said they have been working with the community by holding public information sessions.
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"We understand that the public has concerns focused mainly around the Orange Point Road, however, the information meetings we have had so far were focused on the land-use amendment areas south of the North Island Highway," said the spokesperson.
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"Our team is actively engaging with (an) environmental consultant and archaeological consultant to provide ecological and archaeological information to inform land use decisions for our lands," states the email.
During the Oct. 10 council meeting, Coun. Susan Sinnott responded to the concerns of the residents by highlighting the points made in the city staff report. She also said the city would benefit from another source of energy production.
“One of the things that Campbell River has is it is an energy centre for the Island,” Sinnott said. “We’ve got our hydroelectric projects, we’ve got our cogeneration project (...) There is some advantage, in my view, to having another energy generation source where we already have a cogeneration source to share the grid.”
Currently, there are no biofuel proposals, according to the city, but Discovery Park has also indicated plans to use the site for aquaculture. The company spokesperson told the Mirror the site is being evaluated for possible land-based fish farming.
A second application from Discovery Park is for the land surrounding the mill site, and this application will include a city-held public hearing in upcoming months, city staff told the residents in October.
Discovery Park's proposal received first, second and third reading on Oct. 10. City staff have recommended the proposed changes be adopted at the regular council meeting Thursday evening (Nov. 7).
