Emily Plihal
Local Journalism
Initiative Reporter
Northern Sunrise County council completed second reading at its regular meeting Aug. 8 to amend the Municipal Development Plan Bylaw to include stipulations for both Confined Feeding Operations and Commercial Alternative Energy.
Council and administrative staff have been working to ensure adequate changes have been made to their policies to ensure the County and its residents are protected and prepared for potential development in the county.
“Alternative energy sources for commercial use are fairly new to our county and we want to make sure that we have information included in our planning documents for these types of developments,” says Reeve Corinna Williams.
“Currently, there is no requirement for end of life, disposal, or reclamation of alternative energy sites. Council recognizes the need for alternative energy sources and is not against supporting it when it is done with regulations and rules in place for how they conduct their business and operations, including if they are ending their business or run in to financial difficulty.
“We want to ensure that our residents have access to information and education when they are making decisions about selling or leasing their lands for this type of energy sources,” she adds.
One of the main concerns the County is preparing for in both Confined Feeding Operations and Commercial Alternative Energy is distance from residences and locations they would prefer to see developments occur.
“There are exclusion areas and areas where the permitted use can be enabled with a development permit,” explains Williams. “Council agrees that this gives a project looking to establish the areas where we wish them to develop. As the County, is not the development authority on commercial alternative energy developments (or CFOs), we cannot approve or disapprove.”
One of council’s main objectives is to protect its residents and agricultural land in the county. Williams explains they have chosen a 1.6-km separation from a community or home and any future developments of commercial alternative energy or CFOs.
“What the changes are is to say that as a municipality, we are excluding them from certain areas; knowing that the decision is not ours to make,” says Williams, adding that in the end there are provincial governing boards that trump municipalities regarding CFOs and energy developments.
“However, it does provide us with an opportunity to provide our comments and thoughts to the approving body about our concerns with the selected lands.”
Northern Sunrise County will be holding a public hearing on Sept. 12 at 10 a.m. to allow the public an opportunity to voice their opinions on the proposed amendments.