July 25, 2024
Progress Report and Milestones
Dear neighbours,
I’m writing to update you on the recent progress we’ve made at Sandher Fruit Packers.
Over the last few months, our team has been working with the government and new engineering consultants to prepare and submit a comprehensive permit application that will allow us to safely process the water we use when washing our locally grown apples.
As a part of this process, new engineering and environmental consultants conducted an extensive review of our water management systems. I’m pleased to share that our permit application was recently submitted to the Ministry of Environment for review.
The third-party consultants took a close look at each step in our fruit wash water processing system and fields. They took water samples from a variety of locations over extended periods of time and determined our repaired system complies with BC’s strict standards and is environmentally safe to use.
I want to be clear, the permit we have applied for would only allow us to process water through our existing facility and fields on the Sandher Fruit property — nowhere else. That application process, when successfully completed, will ensure we’re in full compliance, but we expect the Ministry of Environment permitting process to take some time.
In the interim, our washing and packing line is not in operation and we have no intention of running the line until the fall apple harvest in September and October.
Even then, our washing and packing line will only operate with a permit — or a solution that ensures we remain compliant. In the absence of a completed permit application, we are exploring contingency solutions to safely transport fruit wash water generated at Sandher Fruit Packers to accredited facilities where it can be properly processed.
Our engineering consultants are also developing solutions to future proof Sandher operations, including a new and expanded system to manage fruit wash water.
Early this year, I committed to you that we will be doing things differently. These past months, our team and our new consulting team have been working hard to deliver on that promise. And this fall, our packing line will only operate in accordance with the province’s regulations.
We truly value the community that has sustained our family-owned business for more than three decades and I’ll stay in touch as our work to improve our environmental stewardship and responsibly manage our wastewater system advances.
Sincerely,
Gurtaj Sandher
Milestones
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March 4, 2024 | · Fruit wash water discharge permit application submitted by CTQ Consultants to BC Ministry of Environment and Climate Change | |
April 12, 2024 | · Ministry of Environment requests additional information related to the permit application | |
May 6, 2024
| · Aspen Lands Advisory retained to manage the project going forward · Sandher Fruit Packers, Aspen Lands Advisory, CTQ, and hydrogeologists from Associated Environmental meet with Ministry of Environment to review hydrogeology and water quality reports and provide additional permit application information · Ministry of Environment representative’s make follow-up request for additional water samples from packing line | |
May 16-17, 2024June 4, 2024 | · Sandher Fruit Packers and environmental consultants conduct additional water sampling as requested by the Ministry of Environment | |
June 12, 2024 | · Water sample test results received back from independent laboratory indicating that water samples are environmentally safe and well within standards established by the Ministry of Environment | |
June 18, 2024 | · Alpine Engineering conducts thorough inspection and evaluation of current wash water disposal system and field | |
June 26, 2024
| · Complete final application submitted to Ministry of Environment with requested supplemental information and detailed water quality and engineering reports | |