Dirt was a subject of discussion at the July 19 meeting of the Columbia Shuswap Regional District board meeting held in Salmon Arm.
Directors gave second reading to the Soil Removal and Deposit Bylaw.
The matter was first raised 18 months previously by then-Area C South Shuswap director Ted Bacigalupo, who was dealing with soil removal issues.
Following discussions at the board table, staff presented a report and draft bylaw to an electoral area directors’ meeting, before bringing it to the board.
The items were subsequently sent out for review by various agencies, including the Ministry of Energy and Mines.
“We received lots of comments from the legal reviewer as well as the Ministry of Mines,” Development Services manager Gerald Christie told directors. “ The bylaw before you has all of those changes and I noted some of the comments made by agencies and ministries.”
Christie said that when the report and bylaw were brought forward to CSRD advisory planning commissions, they were approved by all except the one in Area F North Shuswap.
“They were concerned about an extra level of bureaucracy; about having to get a permit from Mines and then come to CSRD for a another permit,” Christie said. “That’s why 350,000 cubic metres of soil can be removed before you need a permit. This is directed to larger operations, not the person who is building a home.”
The bylaw will be sent back to relevant agencies for comment before getting third reading at the regional district board.