I attended the all-candidates meeting last night and was a bit disappointed. I was hoping to get these questions asked as they affect the quality of our lives here and across the country.
I’ve walked the roads, streets and trails in this area and have several questions I’d like asked of all the candidates. These all have to do with our environment.
1) Cigarette butts and packages litter our streets and trails so much one has to ignore them or you can not go for a walk. Would you pass legislation banning single-use filters and instead go to multiuse filters that have a hefty deposit and return and the packaging be changed to a recyclable package with a hefty deposit and refund? This would be one way to reward those that are willing to pick them up.
2) Fast food containers litter our streets, roads and trails. Would you legislate that fast food places be made to use a recyclable container with a deposit refund policy? This too would reward those who care for our environment.
3) Bottles and cans are the third class of items that are a real problem. Would you mandate the deposit and return fees be increased to encourage their return? This will reward those that pick up the litter. Would you also consider extending the deposit return policy to canned and bottled foods?
4) I may have missed an update, but as I understand it there are two environmental spills that have not been paid for by the parties involved, one an oil spill on our coast and the Mount Polly mine spill, would you ensure that future spills are paid for by the guilty parties?
Bob Richards
Penticton