After last Fridays Metro Vancouver vote to oppose exporting coal the Mayor of Abbotsford says when it comes to air quality concerns the regional district can't have it both ways.
Bruce Banman says his community has opposed Metro Vancouver's garbage incineration proposal for the very same air quality concerns.
"I think it puts them in a very tough spot. How can they justify one and not the other that is for them to answer. I see the hypocrisy in it. Many people out here see the hypocrisy in it. You have to ask Chairman Moore how he can defend incinerators yet oppose coal dust."
Banman says it is a classic case of not in my backyard while offering no outrage when your neighbours are left to deal with the same problem.
"There is a whole bunch of people who are outraged for their air quality in their own backyard but when it comes to their neighbours they just don't seem to care. Coal dust is much more regionalized it goes right along the railway tracks. That somehow is a huge inconvenience for Metro but I guess when the wind blows into your neighbours that just doesn't have quite the local effect."
Banman says Metro Vancouver is refusing to talk to anyone over its waste to energy proposal.
"They now want to increase their tipping fees so that they can control the waste to feed that burner. The garbage industry said in the same breath when they came to talk about the waste management they said that they don't have meaningful discussion with them either. I would call upon the province to step in and intervene at this point."
Last year the Ministry of Environment had ordered Metro Vancouver to consult with the Fraser Valley Regional District over the waste to energy proposal.