A Shuswap commercial compost facility is facing an administrative penalty following a recent and allegedly unwelcomed site inspection.
After issuing several compliance-related notifications to Spa Hills Farm Inc, B.C.’s Ministry of Environment and Parks is recommending an administrative monetary penalty be levied on the operation following a Nov. 26 inspection of its compost facility south of Salmon Arm at 2223 Yankee Flats Road SW.
According to a Jan. 28, 2026 report (see below) by ministry Environmental Protection Officer Connor Fraleigh, the Nov. 26 inspection was to “verify compliances with the Environmental Management Act (EMA) in response to complaints received regarding alleged non-compliance occurring at the Facility.” Also a follow-up to a July 16, 2025 inspection report, the inspection was conducted by ministry Environmental Protection Officers Connor Fraleigh and Rebecca Benham.
“Upon arrival at the Facility, the Owner refused access to Officer Benham, citing that he felt threatened by Officer Benham’s presence at the Facility,” reads the Jan. 28 report.
According to the ministry, “verbal discussions began to escalate,” prompting its inspectors to contact their supervisor. It was then determined a Conservation Officer was required on-site “to keep the peace.”
The ministry said the owner “ultimately consented the inspection,” explaining that under the EMA ministry officers may enter land or premises, “except premises or a part of premises occupied solely as a private residence,” at any time and inspect any process, works or activity that produces or is capable of producing waste.
Being a composting facility registered under the Organic Matter Recycling Regulation, the composting facility “meets the definition of an activity that produces or is capable of producing waste.”
Prompting the inspection was a complaint received on Nov. 25, 2025, when the complainant alleged “waste material from a trucking company’s truck washing facility catch basin was being mixed into the large pile of finished compost at the north end of the property.”
Fraleigh noted photographic and video evidence provided by the complainant confirmed this was done by an Agri-Trans trailer on November 25, 2025
Ministry staff asked Spa Hills to confirm whether they recently received the material and “mixed it into their compost pile located at the north end of the facility”
“Spa Hills affirmed that the material deposited at the location in question was clean soil which was sourced from their property and was deposited at this location using their own trailer. Spa Hills indicated that they use the soil to aid in the screening of compost material.”
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Ministry staff contacted Agri-Trans, which confirmed “they have an agreement in place with Spa Hills to take the waste material from their truck washing facility catch basin.” This is done roughly once per year.
“The statement provided by Spa Hills contradicts the information that was provided by Agri-Trans and the photographic and video evidence submitted by the complainant.”
The EMA states a person “must not introduce or cause or allow to be introduced into the environment, waste produced by a prescribed activity or operation.”
The report also details compost fires at the facility over the inspection period of Jan. 1 to Nov. 30,
Fraleigh said submitted photographic and video evidence shows Spa Hills “discharged air contaminants to the environment as a result of compost pile(s) at the facility catching fire” on July 15, 29 and 31, Aug. 23 and 26, and Sept. 14 and 18.
“The Owner informed Ministry staff that once they were aware of the fires, they acted quickly to get the fires under control and extinguish them. The Owner noted that while they are trying to reduce the pile height of the large compost pile, it remains difficult since they are only able to process so much compost through the screening machine.”
Fraleigh noted smoke released from the compost fires meets the definition of “air contaminant” under the EMA.
During the Nov. 26 inspection, the ministry’s officers also found leachate “generated from the compost piles is being discharged to the ground.” Collected leachate samples were found to meet the EMA definition of “effluent,” a substance introduced into water or onto land capable of injuring the health and safety of persons and “any life form,” and damaging the environment.
The ministry confirmed Spa Hills does not hold a waste discharge authorization under EMA for the discharge of effluent. In response, the business has been ordered to “cease all unauthorized discharges of waste (air contaminants and effluent) into the environment and implement actions in accordance with their Operations Plan to reduce the likelihood of future fire incidents.”
“This includes reducing the overall height of your compost piles to 5 metres or less, and implementing additional measures as necessary to reduce the number of instances of fires at the Facility moving forward.”
Actions were prescribed for other matters in which Spa Hills was found to be out of compliance.
Administrative penalties are issued by senior ministry staff, and are one of several tools the ministry may choose to encourage regulatory compliance. Maximum penalty amounts are prescribed by regulation, ranging from $2,000 to $75,000.
In September 2025, the Columbia Shuswap Regional District initiated legal proceedings to bring the Shuswap compost facility into compliance with local zoning.
2026-01-28 IR249638 AMP by lachlan.labere
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