The president of the company that wants to operate a gasifier for railway ties in Kamloops has charged opponents of the project with being “racist.”
The comment is contained in a letter from Aboriginal Cogeneration Corp. president Kim Sigurdson to the Environmental Appeal Board.

Sigurdson's letter opposes a bid by Ruth Madsen, who filed an appeal under a society name that is no longer registered, to continue with an appeal of a permit granted by the Ministry of Environment.

“Ms. Madsen sent the appeal in late and funds were late as well,” states the letter to appeal board chairman Alan Andison.

“The rules are clear and she failed to abide by them. The Thompson Institute of Environmental Studies is not registered to Ms. Madsen.”

The company intends to operate a gasifier for railway ties at Mission Flats, which has received approval from the Ministry of Environment and Interior Health Authority. But opponents say the technology is not proven and not safe in a valley of 80,000 people.

Sigurdson's letter says the project has been delayed by “individuals . . . not for the technology or emissions but for who we are.

“It has become a media circus with people who purport to be environmentalists when in reality they are either totally indifferent or racist.”

Sigurdson did not return a phone call Thursday. He said earlier this month he is not speaking to reporters until a March 11 public forum hosted by the Kamloops Chamber of Commerce.

Madsen was also not available for comment.

Derek Cook, a member of Save Kamloops and a political scientist at Thompson Rivers University said the letter – written to a legal agency — is evidence of Sigurdson's poor judgment.

“One wonders about his judgment.”

Cook noted that those who have sponsored forums at the university questioning the project include a number of departments.

“They couldn't be totally indifferent,” he said. “That puts them in the other (racist) category… The issue has nothing to do with race.”

Sigurdson is Metis and his company aims to employ aboriginal people. He has received some racist e-mails from people in Kamloops.

The Environmental Appeal Board has yet to decide whether to allow the appeal.