ey ~ » Wednesday, June 10, 1992 & TheFARSIDE By Gary Larson Se We i ee ae i “I wouldn't do that, bartender. ... you think you're fast enough.” Unless, of course, Lasca movement finds help in U.S. @ U.S. environmental groups issue letter to Premier Mike Harcourt Neil Rachynski NEWS REPORTER B.C. is allowing itself to be treated as a third-world sup- plier of resources to the first- world, according to a letter from a coalition of American environmental groups. Eleven different U.S. agen- cies have thrown their support behind the local West Arm Wilderness Group to protest the logging plans in Lasca Creek. The Americans are de- manding that “the annual al- lowable cut in B.C. be reduced by at least half, immediately.” Public Lands Director Mike Medberry. of the Idaho Con- servation League says his group became involved out of concern for the habitat of the Selkirk grizzly bear. “The ecosystem knows no. political boundaries,” he said. “We thought instead of work- ing within state boundaries we'd work on ecosystem boundaries.” Calling Canadian forest practices a “butcher job,” Med- berry lashed out at logging regulations. “The perception down south here within the timber indus- try is a feeling of unfair com- petition,” Medberry said. “They think Canadian laws aren't tough enough when it comes to protecting endan- gered species. “It creates an imbalance.” The letter from the Ameri- can environmental groups calls for an end to road build- ing in Lasca Creek. Pleas for an assessment of the area’s biological; recre- ational and economic values have come from as far away as the Earth Island Institute in San Francisco. The letter, addressed to Premier Mike Harcourt, says the Parks Plan “relies on set- ting aside representative ‘is- land’ ecosystems, doomed to isolation and eventual biologi- cal collapse.” Meanwhile, the six persons charged with disobeying a court order forbidding them from impeding road construc- tion are set to appear in Nel- son Supreme Court June 18 and 19. Cig % Bay the Bucket or by the Piece Always Delicious Always Affordable Only at Chicken Time 2816 Columbia Ave. Pork BACK RIBS B.B.Q. Favourite e Frozen 7.68 kg. 49 eae Grown 5 Ib. Cello 49 ROGERS SUGAR 2kg. Limit 1 per $20 purchase Kraft PARKAY 3 Ib. Quarters 2:9 Limit 1 per $20 purchase ATTENTION To our valued customers effective Thurs. June 11, Castlegar Foods will be changing its advertising schedule. Our weekly ad will now begin on the Thurs. of each week and run seven consecutive days to the close of business Wednesday. Look for our expanded ad in the Wednesday editions of Castlegar's two local papers. We look forward to better serving Thank You —Management of Castlegar Foods Grade A beef ¢ 5.48 kg. 49 California Grown #1 Blue Label APPLE JUICE 6 litre ¢ Limit 2 Tide ORIGINAL 12 Litre. 8.78 you with this change. CARROTS CANTALOUPE|| CUCUMBERS ‘|.99}..79 FOREMOST COKE OR SPRITE and Assorted Flavors B.C. Grown. i Long English 2 Litre MILK Skim e 1% © 2% Homogenized * 12-355 ml. cans 3 @ Wednesday, June 10, 1992 3m SecondFRONT i CALL THE NEWS @General Inquiries 365-7266 OUR HOURS Scott David Harrison EDITOR The Ootischenia dump is about to become a wasteland for area garbage. According to a Regional District of Central Kootenay solid waste management plan, the local landfill would become one of only four dumps in the region. The move — which would come following the closure of seven smaller landfill sites — is designed to help the RDCK meet tough new provincial requirements, calling for a 50 per cent reduction in solid wastes by the year 2000. “This is one of four to five options we are exploring and hoping to get public input on,” said Peter Shand of Stanley Associates. Shand, whose Kamloops-based consulting firm has been preparing the waste management plan for the past 14 months, says he’s optimistic that the public said. will support the regional dump strategy. “I think people are looking for more effective ways to deal with solid waste management and this is one of the option that we are exploring,” he said. According to the plan, Ootischenia would accept garbage from closed sites in Kaslo and Slocan. Nakusp, Salmo and Creston, meanwhile, would accept garbage from the other closed landfill sites. ; The RDCK’s Don Harasym said the garbage shift makes sense, adding that the proposed changes will help the area gain the upper hand on the reduction; reuse, recycling and residual management of solid waste. “The consultant has found that it would be easier to truck in waste than maintain the number of landfill sites we have,” he District plan eyes Ootischenia dump FRENCH CONNECTION The News is located at 197 Columbia Ave. Our office hours are Monday to Friday, 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. Closed on weekends and statutory holidays. SUB RATES The News is ‘published by Castle News Ltd. for Canwest Publishers Ltd. Mail subscription rate to The News. is $37.50 per year. The price on newsstands is 75¢ for each edition. The price delivered by newspaper carrier for both editions is only 90¢ a week (collected monthly). GST extra. Second class mail registration number 0019. News photo by Glen Freeman This Castlegar RCMP officer signed his name to Bruce and Nancy Ketchum’s friendship banner Saturday. The Ketchums started their cross-Canada unity tour right after a party sponsored by the Kiwanis Club, the Legion and the Knights of Columbus. More big trucks on the way? for Cominco kept off the Rossland hill until runaway lanes could be built. He said that project could take as long as two years. While Conroy is pleased that Warfield’s problem will be addressed, he’s not exactly thrilled that’ more trucks will be making their way in and around Castlegar. “It’s twice your pleasure, twice your fun,” he said sarcastically. “It’s all going to make for more traffic congestion through Castlegar.” Conroy said the extra 50 to 80 semi-trailers a day is just the beginning of a truck invasion on Castlegar’s roadways. He said Pope and Talbot will have 6,000 to 8,000 passing through Castlegar annually when it completes its undercuts. Scott David Harrison EDITOR : Castlegar may become the route of preference for more than just chip trucks. Last month’s horrible accident in Warfield which saw a semi-trailer slam through a residential home has prompted the B.C. government to explore alternative routes, One of those involves Castlegar. “It would be a temporary solution,” Rossland- Trail MLA Ed Conroy said Tuesday. According to one plan, the province would prohibit loaded trucks from travelling down the. Rossland hill. Instead, trucks would be rerouted down the Nancy Greene Highway to Castlegar en route to Trail. ‘ : Conroy also said the completion of the Celgar “There is a legacy of accidents in Warfield and expansion would see a doubling of chip tuck it has never properly been dealt with,” Conroy traffic said. “We have to address the problem, but it “You ain’t seen nothing yet,” he said of the won’t happen overnight.” current truck flow through the city. “It will get Conroy said the move would see trucks bound worse, just wait.” According to the plan, the RDCK will spend in upwards of $1 million a year to promote a reduction and recycling education programs and more stringent landfill regulations. In addition, the RDCK will explore tipping fees aimed at penalizing those who don’t comply with waste reduction strategies. The RDCK’s tough new regulations will be put to the test when it holds a series of public hearings, starting June 23 in Nelson and Nakusp. A public hearing regarding the proposed changes will also take place in Castlegar on July 24 at the Fireside Inn at 7 p.m. “We want the public to speak up on anything,” solicit responses from everyone. We want to know what people think.” Harasym said. “We’re trying to Ferry cuts prompt mediation Neil Rachynski NEWS REPORTER It’s business as usual on the Kootenay Lake ferry. Following a one-day walkout Friday, the province and the B.C. Government Employees’ Union have agreed to resume normal op- erations and seek private media- tion to resolve the outstanding is- sue of staffing. The province wants to eliminate one full-time position, saying Canadian Coast Guard certifica- tion allows the M.V. Anscomb to safely operate with a seven-mem- ber crew. The union disagrees. “The old system of lowering lifeboats from pulleys has been re- placed with ramps on the top deck that passengers use to walk down to the water to enter inflatable rafts,” union spokesperson David Matland said. “Now, that’s all good and fine for you and me or anybody ambulato- ry, but anyone handicapped or wheelchair-bound will need assis- tance getting to the top deck ifthey should be stranded on the car deck in the event of an emergency.” Matland says the eighth crewsperson is crucial in the event of an extreme fire emergency. Eliah Farrell, spokesperson for the Ministry of Transportation and Highways, hopes to have a mediator in place as quickly as possible. She says the negotiator will have to be someone with expe- rience in marine safety. “It’s a very specialized area. “No one has been chosen yet,” Farrell said, “but the whole process is to be complete in early July.” She says axing one of the eight deckhand positions on the ferry is a cost-effective step by the govern- ment.