The Similkameen News Leader
Editorial
THE DEBATE CONTINUES...
EDITORIAL - September 5, 2006
If you think about it, the ongoing war of words between Mayor Randy McLean and Compliance Energy Corporation President/CEO John Tapics almost plays like a soap opera.
We can already hear the voiceover teaser just before the network goes to commercial...
"In a last ditched attempt to prove his point, local hero Sherriff Jack Sepia reveals secrets hidden by big city bully Brock the Coal Miner's plan to build a factory in quiet little Backwater Flats" (cue the suspenseful music for about here).
Then the cliffhanger to make you want to tune in as soon as the commercial for hemorrhoid cream is over:
"The truth that Brock the Coal Miner doesn't want you to know!!!" (high-pitched scream followed by your basic dum-dum-da-DUM music). "Right after this word from our sponsor!"
Let's face it, whether or not you like the idea of what basically amounts to a pulverized coal generation plant - which Tapics has translated to mean that the coal is actually milled to a fine powder to increase its surface - which McLean observes as most likely meaning the coal is pulverized -we're really just arguing about cosmetics at this point.
How many of us care how much ODT's (that's oven-dried tons to those in-the-know) of timber exists in the region should Compliance actually decide to toss a log or two on the fire while waiting for that pulverizer to 'mill' coal into, well - um...a pulverized state?
We've already got a bunch of um, well - er, 'milled' coal in our back yard just waiting to do something other than kill our attempts at growing a lush lawn. We know there's hardly enough to turn on a 50-watt light bulb, but it wouldn't upset us any to see some of it being put to better use than choking off our grass.
So if you think coal dust (sorry, milled/pulverized) coal is going to be a problem, take a short stroll along the Trans Canada Trail in town. That pretty black (finely milled) powder is coal and it's EVERYWHERE around us. We're breathing it in already on a daily basis.
We really do like the debate about the Compliance project as we have learned so much about coal in such a short time. Our favourite lesson was when the proposed power plant received recognition from BC Hydro as a new, soon to be developed power source and PetroBank, deer, marmots and ATV's suddenly fell off the radar.
What's going to be the big issue that'll wipe Compliance off the radar?
We're not sure, but as long as we keep getting lost in the argument of what the difference between milled and pulverized coal is Compliance will continue to be a blip on the screen.
