By Lyonel Doherty, Times Chronicle

Regional district staff has recommended that the agricultural wood waste chipping program be discontinued next year.

In a report to the board, Public Works operations manager Andrew Reeder suggested the program no longer operate as part of the Area A refuse and landfill services in Oliver and Penticton.

The board is slated to discuss the issue and its funding on July 21.

As background, Reeder told the board that an Air Quality Coalition was established in the early 2000s but subsequently disbanded in 2011. One of its offshoot programs was the chipping initiative as an alternative to burning.

“The concern at the time was that growers were burning green fruit trees creating volumes of smoke pollution that hung in the valleys,” Reeder said.

He also noted that other agriculturalists were observed to be burning treated posts, pesticide containers, fertilizer bags, PVC pipe and general refuse.

Reeder said the key objective of the chipping program is to improve air quality.

Under the current program, farmers who would like to chip their trees and prunings can apply to the RDOS. A quote is provided to the farmer, who pays 25 per cent of the cost. The chipping program now includes funding for trench and air curtain burners.

Reeder said chipping costs have risen substantially, and while the RDOS receives a number of requests for quotes each year, a significant number are “not realized.”

Fire bans seem to have a considerable influence on whether or not the program will be utilized, Reeder pointed out.

“Some of these bans were, in part, due to the fear that poor air quality could aggravate the conditions of those who contracted COVID-19,” Reeder said.

In 2021 and 2022, the RDOS used COVID-19 funding to reduce some of its chipping costs, but this funding will not be available next year, Reeder stated.

He noted if the RDOS continues the program at the same level, they will need to increase funding from the landfill budgets to cover the loss of COVID-19 funding.

Reeder said another alternative is to create a new service area to improve air quality in the region.