A stock of pure biosolids is seen at the Kamloops Sewer Treatment Centre on May 16, 2019.

Image Credit: FILE PHOTO

KAMLOOPS — The City of Kamloops has responded to a biosolids rally outisde of city hall today.

Residents of Turtle Valley returned to Kamloops City Hall earlier today, May 30, to protest against biosolids being deposited in the Shuswap community.

In a statement issued today, the City says they acknowledged the protest opposing the city's current biosolids contract with Arrow Transportation to haul compost biosolids to the Turtle Valley Bison Ranch.

READ MORE: City of Kamloops responds to biosolids protests, concerns with tour of sewage treatment centre

"The City of Kamloops and our biosolids management contractor, Arrow Transportation, have made extensive efforts to provide factural information that addresses concerns of the Turtle Valley residents who oopose our curren biosolids project," Greg Wightman, the city's utility services manager says in a release. "We have also informed the public about the safe beneficial reuse of biosolids."

In a Facebook post, the group Turtle Valley Against Biosolids says today's protest started at 11 a.m. 

"Enough is enough. At 11 a.m. in front of City Hall there will be a rally held for those who wish to voice their opinions on the Turtle Valley Land application," the post reads. "We still have not had the answers to our questions and are being brushed off and ignored."

This isn't the first time the group has held a protest at City Hall, the group also held a rally on April 27.

Wightman says the vast majority of concerns they have heard from those who oppose biosolids are those who would like to see revised organic matter recycling regulations.

"The City of Kamloops does not oversee the (Organic Matter Recycling Regulations) and cannot speak to the concerns with that regulation," Wightman says.

Earlier this month, the City also responded to the protest of biosolids by offering the public and media personnel a tour of the sewage treatment centre.

For more information visit the City's Let's Talk webpage on biosolids.

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