Editor, The News:
Re: Stench sends folks into frenzy (The News, Sept. 12).
Call it raising a stink, local residents went into a frenzy as with other municipal taxpayers to justifiably complain about the repulsively offensive stench from a farm near the Pitt Meadows airport that was categorically, indefensible pollution, that bothered many to their personal discomfort for days.
The foul odour lingered and many Twittered or Facebooked or phoned to complain about the pollution.
Pitt Meadows city hall should monetarily penalize the farmer and Metro Vancouver, whose mandate is to investigate and lay charges and fines.
A mere written letter or warning does not go far enough.
To merely dismiss it as poor judgment is lame as this reckless farmer knew the odour was far beyond normalcy.
Local residents closed their windows to stop the offensive smell penetrating their homes and many went inside instead of breathing those nauseous fumes that ruined outings.
Instead of just gouging us with taxes, city hall needs to have some backbone with proactive and reactive enforcement instead of sweeping it under the carpet.
We all pay taxes, and while this incident is uncommon, it could have been prevented with some brain power.
There must be a bylaw addressing such violations and governmental regulations addressing pollution at a higher level that needs hefty fines as a deterrent.
In the end, no excuses.
Kerwin Maude
Pitt Meadows
Get used to it
Editor, The News:
Re: Stench sends folks into frenzy (The News, Sept. 12).
This is an every-other-month recurrence on this side of the bridge in Maple Ridge.
I guess with all the new urban sprawl, great to see new home owners are not used to it.
L. Bowen
Maple Ridge