Prince George City Hall has slapped a lawsuit against the leader of December's blockade against biosolids.
In a notice of civil claim filed at the Prince George courthouse, the city is seeking an injunction against Salmon Valley resident Andy Angele to prevent him from any further attempts to stop trucks delivering the material to a neighbouring farm.
The city is also seeking restitution for the cost of hiring the contractor the Dec. 9 blockade forced to turn around at Wright Creek Road, just off Highway 97 North, about 20 kilometres north of Prince George.
However, the action will not be pursued if a new attempt to deliver the material next Tuesday goes unhindered.
"We will not rescind the notice of civil claim but we will not being moving forward with an action for relief sought," the city's wastewater collection and facilities supervisor Gina Layte-Liston said Monday.
A form of fertilizer used on area farms and tree farms since 1989, biosolids are made out of sludge from the Lansdowne sewage treatment plant.
The city wants to spread the material on the Arnett Ranch property, immediately adjacent to Angele's property at 23955 Pollard Road.
Citing a list of toxins found in the material, Angele has said it poses a significant environmental risk and is worried about runoff from the site onto his property.
However, proponents maintain those toxins come in only trace amounts, particularly once the biosolids are disked into the soil, and its peat-like quality helps it retain water and prevent runoff.
The B.C. Environment Ministry has granted the city a permit to apply the material, which is classified as class B under the province's organic matter recycling regulation. It takes a less-stringent process to make than class A, but contains more pathogens and heavy metals and there are greater restrictions on how much can be used.
However, Layte-Liston said the application plans are followed very closely and a consultant specializing in the field has been hired to supervise the process. The plan is to stockpile the material now for application in the spring.
A letter has been sent to Angele letting him know of the next hauling date in accordance with a promise made during a public hearing last summer, Layte-Liston said.
The City was out "at least $2,600," Layte-Liston said, in contracting bills by the time the two-hour standoff on Wright Creek Road had ended in December.
The claim was filed on Feb. 3 and Angele has until Feb. 24 to file a response.
Phone calls to Angele on Monday were not answered.
