Brief: CSRD seeks grant funding for a food waste composting facility in Revelstoke

In a bid reduce a pile-up of rotten food waste at the Revelstoke Landfill, the Columbia Shuswap Regional District (CSRD) are seeking to build a food waste composting facility in Revelstoke.

At a Regular Board Meeting that took place on May 16, Directors voted unanimously to submit the funding application to the BC Organics Infrastructure Program, for a maximum of $300,000. This would cover two-thirds of the eligible costs to construct the facility at the Revelstoke Landfill.

Directors also affirmed their support for the project, agreeing to pay the remaining costs. The total cost for the construction project is estimated at between $550,000 and $650,000.

The CSRD has already budgeted $350,000 in 2019 for construction of the first phase of a two-phase project. If this grant application is successful, however, it would allow the entire project to be developed at one time. This would reduce overall construction costs.

In 2013, the CSRD set aside land at the Revelstoke Landfill for yard and garden waste composting. So far, there has been a high degree of support for this initiative from community members. Moving forward, if grant funding is approved, this area would be expanded to introduce food waste composting, including a building, cover system, and aeration capabilities to allow air flow for the effective production of compost.

“The construction of a facility at the landfill to enable the composting of food waste, yard waste and other organic waste will provide environmental, social and economic benefits that are consistent with the desire of the community,” said Ben Van Nostrand, Team Leader Environmental Health Services.