The Cowichan Valley Regional District is giving conditional approval to Fisher Rd. Recycling to add household garbage and more materials to its depot in Cobble Hill, provided they follow eight specific conditions.

The decision comes despite concerns from the public about noise, odours and the effects on the groundwater in the area.

In a press release issued May 25, CVRD Chair Rob Hutchins said the board is giving conditional approval to the company after considering "existing legal precedents" and that the board must "work within the law."

The manager of Recycling and Waste Management at the CVRD, Bob McDonald, told SunFM News that they are legally obligated to allow operators to expand if the sites do not adversely affect people or the surroundings.

The CVRD also gave conditional approval to the Chemainus composting facility to expand its operations to accept fish, food waste and garden materials, despite protests from local residents.

Fisher Rd. Recycling is required to supply the CVRD with environmental monitoring results, including groundwater testing, four times a year. The operator must also put 100 per cent of its outdoor compost piles on concrete pads to disconnect the composting operation from the local aquifer.

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