Rocky View County is proceeding with enforcement of compliance measures against a composting operation that has failed to meet required deadlines and conditions for a development permit application.  

And the action being taken against Thorlakson Nature's Call Inc. which operates approximately six kilometres northeast of Airdrie will be costly for the facility.    

In a release from the County, they say at a public hearing on December 11th, 2018, County Council voted to approve a land use change for the operation.   The vote allowed the business to be in compliance with County bylaws from a land use perspective, but it also allowed Council to put conditions on the operation before a Development Permit would be issued.

The County outlined the steps required for a Development Permit and provided a January 31st deadline for the application and the submission of technical documents. This deadline was about five weeks longer than normal, but still, it was not met. The compost facility continues to operate without an approved Development Permit, so today (March 1) the County will begin fining the landowner the sum of $1,500 per day. The fine will be applied until the Development Permit application requirements are met or until the business ceases to operate.  

If compliance with the Development Permit process continues to be an issue, the County can issue a Stop Work order to stop the facility’s operations. This could happen as early as next week. If a Development Permit application is submitted, it will go before Council for consideration to ensure all of the County’s requirements are being met before approval is granted.

Those requirements include an Air Quality and Odour Assessment and an Air Quality Management System for the composting operation, which has been the subject of numerous odour complaints from Rocky View County residents as well as people living in the City of Airdrie.

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