Sean Carlson of Prince Rupert has provided a twist to the saying “go big or go home”.
This is a GREAT idea! We need people like him with NEW ideas in this city making decisions!
Tired and Old has to go…Rupert needs a change!
“The downtown location might seem an odd idea, Carlson said, but it could revitalize and bring new to life to the area.”
A furnace is going to revitalize the downtown area?..he’s gotta be kidding.
I think he meant that it will be more activity, more people working downtown.
I do agree it is NOT a good location, should definetly be in the industrial park, but the idea is very good and should be explored.
LOL@ the cost of $135 million …
Also sorry but I cannot see how burning trash down town is going to bring life back to the area.
There is a huge green trend to recycling so burning is against the grain…
[quote=“jamesbrown”]LOL@ the cost of $135 million …
Also sorry but I cannot see how burning trash down town is going to bring life back to the area.[/quote]
I’m pretty sure a modern garbage incinerator would produce way less air pollution than the fish reduction plant or the landfill. Not to mention it comes with jobs and the ability to sell power. At least Sean the UBC engineering student and a few others did their homework.
BTW, here’s a reading material if anyone interested: metrovancouver.org/about/pub … tsheet.pdf
Not literally every item is recyclable… (ie. food scraps)
I really like all the suggestions from the naysayers, very helpful.
Great idea we can burn garbage from the northwest cities and make a profit by selling the excess power, for that is what you would need to make it worthwhile to counter the building cost, which would mean lots of trucks or trains hauling the garbage so downtown would be out of the question,if it is possible to get the project into any planning stage I would suggest the pulpmill site for it has access to rail.
Better to be a realistic naysayer than optimistic fool, lets do some simple elementary level math and see what we get.
OK, $135 million to build it, and it can POTENTIALLY make $2 million per year in power, but with an operating cost of $1.1 million per year. So if it operates to spec (which is unlikely, nothing ever does) it can generate $900 000 per year in profit so it will break even in 150 years, that is if everything goes as planned. In reality it will cost much more to build, produce less power than promised and is unlikely to ever make a profit, even if the plan went smoothly and the cost/profit figures are accurate it will take over a century and a half to break even, is that a good deal?
[quote=“ChrisJ”]
Better to be a realistic naysayer than optimistic fool, lets do some simple elementary level math and see what we get.
OK, $135 million to build it, and it can POTENTIALLY make $2 million per year in power, but with an operating cost of $1.1 million per year. So if it operates to spec (which is unlikely, nothing ever does) it can generate $900 000 per year in profit so it will break even in 150 years, that is if everything goes as planned. In reality it will cost much more to build, produce less power than promised and is unlikely to ever make a profit, even if the plan went smoothly and the cost/profit figures are accurate it will take over a century and a half to break even, is that a good deal?[/quote]
I wonder how much profit landfills generate… do you know?
The idea of an incinerator is a pretty interesting concept, though the placement of it in the downtown core seems just plain dumb.
The best idea was offered up earlier placement on Watson Island, if we ever get that lawsuit settled and can actually use that wasteland for development.
Though the idea of a giant smokestack belching out effluent would make for an interesting talking point on the cruise ship walkabouts, to your left we’re burning waste, thanks for coming.
Be interesting to know what our council thinks about this idea, perhaps eccentric could get back to us with a report!
[quote=“Smurfette”]
Be interesting to know what our council thinks about this idea, perhaps eccentric could get back to us with a report![/quote]
If council has any sense of reality they’ll treat the idea as frivolous at best.
Enough to satisfy the town’s NIMBYs? lol
Great idea and thank goodness we have youth who really care about the community and interesting in assisting. As it is now, our landfill’s life span is set for 2046. The previous dump site is the below the golf course and continues to release methane gas and who knows what else.
Currently Port Ed has no restrictions on their garbage pick ups and do pay a fee to dump in the landfill. I have been out there on Saturdays and amazed to see the amount of garbage and household items dumped.
There are many items that could be recycled but again that is another story. Styrofoam is not taken at the recycle depot and just filling up the landfill. Composting would be a fantastic way of building up reusable soil for gardens and fill.
On another note, not sure how many of you go down to the industrial site and the de-barker that goes on? They did haul much of that to fill up at the rod and gun club. The bark will continue to heat up and break down over time but the ground would be unstable. Once the rod and gun club have enough, then what are the plans for the bark?
Our island is surrounded by water and honestly, much of the garbage will continue to seep into the water, thank goodness our drinking water is from the mainland. A lot more can be done for sure. As for being downtown, I agree with another reader that we need to review the best place (at the landfill or industrial site). Just some thoughts. 
For many many years, there was an incinerator at the hospital. They would burn most of their waste. I’m not sure why they got rid of it. I think they took waste from other places as well.