Weyerhaeuser hopes to re-activate the Skidegate dry land sort near the district forest service office west of Queen Charlotte as soon as possible.
BC Timber sales and Weyerhaeuser both hope to get the Skidegate sort activated to accommodate timber from Weyerhaeuser, JS Jones and others, says Garth Johnson of Weyerhaeuser.
800 to 1000 cubic meters of timber could be handled daily at the site, although the volume processed would depend on sales, Mr. Johnson says.
Before the site can be active again, the company must get permits for burning and the disposal of debris. According to the permit applications, the company would have four controlled burns per year. The ash and unburnable wood would be disposed of in a landfill in layers alternating with suitable soil 20 centimeters deep.
"Our intent is to get it up and running and keep it running," Mr. Johnson says. The company has invested money in improving the site to minimize the debris added to the foreshore, and will continue to make improvements once the site is activated, he says. The site has not been active since 1996.
The Queen Charlotte management committee discussed the permit applications at its June 16 meeting. Members are concerned about a couple of things.
"We all remember what happened when the dump site spontaneously combusted," committee chair Anne Mountifield said.
Regional director Carol Kulesha expressed concern about the impact of the sort on air and water quality for Queen Charlotte, as did the other members, and Ron McKee wondered what this would mean for public access to Kagan Bay.
Ms Kulesha said she would bring the committee's concerns to the next regional district meeting for the board's consideration before replying to Weyerhaeuser.