A development permit to allow the construction of a process water recycling facility was approved 8-1 by Rocky View County (RVC) council on Sept. 15, paving the way for the reopening of a beef processing plant located within the High Plains industrial development, east of Balzac and north of the City of Calgary’s boundary.
According to information provided by RVC, development permits and land use redesignation were approved for the former Rancher’s Beef plant after public hearings in 2004, which included consultation with the City of Calgary. At the time of the consultation, RVC said the City of Calgary had no plans for development in the area that would conflict with the plant.
The facility operated for two years before it was forced to close after the mad cow crisis. In 2013, a new owner purchased the plant with the intent to have the facility operating in early 2016 as Harmony Beef. According to RVC, as the original 2004 development permit still applies, the facility can legally re-open at any time – provided it meets the conditions of the original development permit.
However, letters were received by RVC administration from landowners, legal representatives and government officials claiming the development permit for the water recycling facility should be refused – on the grounds that the plant is too close to the City of Calgary.
“Northeast Calgary is not the same community it was ten years ago when (RVC) first gave a permit to operate the slaughterhouse,” said Calgary McCall MLA Darshan Kang in a letter to Minister Kyle Fawcett, dated Jan. 15. “Thousands of new residents now live in the immediate area where this operation is planned. Having a commercial plant of this caliber located so close to a dense, urban area is poorly planned and not in the best interests of the City or surrounding County.”
The initial permits for the plant were approved prior to any City of Calgary context or area structure plans, and according to RVC, subsequent City of Calgary planning “should have” accounted for the approved uses and zoning designations of neighbouring lands.
“What’s being proposed (now) is only different in the use of the recycling system of water,” said Byron Riemann, general manager of Infrastructure and Operations with RVC. “The discharge and the end location for the affluent stays the same.”
With the exception of the proposed changes to water intake and wastewater discharge, Harmony Beef intends to operate the plant under the terms of the existing development permit. According to administration’s report, the water recycling system will reduce new water use by more than 90 per cent, drastically reducing the demand on the County’s infrastructure.
“This is an application for a water recycling facility – this is not an application for a slaughterhouse, this is not an application for a meat packing plant,” Councillor Rolly Ashdown said. “I read letters from the mayor of the City of Calgary that were sent to the Premier and to our Reeve, using ‘slaughterhouse’ in almost every sentence, as if it’s something terrible. We’re in beef country, in Alberta.”
Under the conditions of the original development permit, Harmony Beef cannot operate a feed lot, cannot render animal by-products, cannot house animals for longer than 18 hours, cannot house animals or livestock trailers overnight, cannot process more than 800 animals per day and must dispose of all solid waste – including manure – at approved off-site locations.
RVC’s development permit also limits the facility’s impact on air quality in the area, which includes odour prevention and monitoring systems that meet the requirements of Alberta Environment and Parks – with a stipulation that if there is an obvious odour 1,000 metres or more from the facility, the County can order a reduction in the plant’s operations until the problem is addressed.
“I would like to see this plant re-opened,” Deputy Reeve Lois Habberfield said. “It’s a shame that it’s been sitting there, vacant. I support the beef industry, but I want to make sure that it operates as a good neighbour and we don’t have complaints down the road.”
According to RVC, odour control aspects of the proposed water recycling facility were reviewed by an independent, third-party consultant, Dr. Guoliang Qu, principal engineer at Q&Q AirTech Engineering.
“(RVC) understands the importance of odour and air quality for the Harmony Beef plant, and took the step of engaging someone of Dr. Qu’s level of knowledge and experience to ensure any concerns have been understood and addressed,” said RVC planner Jessica Anderson.
Habberfield moved to approve the development permit for the water recycling facility, which was passed 7-1 with Councillor Jerry Arshinoff voting in opposition.
