Finally we are near a resolution to the peat burning issue in the county.
Since the issue first came to the fore with the implementation of a ban on burning peat following an in camera session at Westlock County council on June 26, 2012, there has been virtually no end to the rhetoric.
When the ban was first announced, the reason given was safety.
Reeve Charles Navratil said the smoke created from burning the material was the chief concern, a sentiment echoed by county fire chief John Biro.
Biro explained the smoke can be very thick, and when it settles close to the ground it can reduce visibility to almost nil, greatly increasing the chances of a collision.
He also said the smoke, when it wafts into homes, can cause serious health problems.
Then there is the fact wet peat can smoulder for weeks and dry peat is a single spark away from being a nearly uncontrollable wildfire.
Yet while keeping the county safe is a very important task, it’s clear there were more players involved who had their reasons for not wanting the ban. Or at least not wanting the ban to be so broad.
Area landowners, who needed a way to get rid of the peat on their land, argued the ban should not be imposed without input from them.
And rightfully so. Any legislation with potentially far-reaching effects should be made as amenable to those it will affect as possible.
Holding an in camera meeting to discuss a such a piece of legislation certainly does not achieve that aim.
Fortunately, what came out of a meeting between those landowners and the county was a willingness to work together on crafting a bylaw that sought to allow the landowners to continue to clear their land while at the same time accepting restrictions designed to make the county safer.
At this point, the content of the bylaw is unknown to all but a few people.
But given it’s finally coming forward for first reading this week after nearly 10 months of discussion and crafting, it would be safe to assume it’s a document that will make both sides of the issue happy.
