The amendment to essentially…

The amendment to essentially reopen the property at 29831 Irish School Rd as a waste processing site should not proceed.

The expansion would bring severe detriment to the area, including potential of contamination in the environmentally sensitive Sydenham River, of which a tributary flows directly through the property mentioned. The Sydenham River at the location of the proposed expansion is classified as a Critical Habitat for Species at Risk.

The site has been essentially closed for a number of years, and the traffic, pollution, and smell that would be brought would be life-altering to the citizens of Dresden, just 1km to the south.

With lots of talk about reducing carbon emissions from all levels of government, it's critical that we stop transporting this garbage for hundreds of kilometres just so the people of the GTA can avoid having it in their vicinity. Finding a better area close by to the GTA can avoid needless pollution and fuel costs, while reducing carbon emissions from transportation.

The portion of land currently being farmed at the property is Class 2 agricultural land, and is located in an area of Chatham-Kent with a history of use with high-yielding, high-quality horticultural and field crops. If the waste facility is expanded, this farmland will be gone permanently.

There are plenty of resources within the provincial government, such as AgMaps, to show why the proposed location for expansion is poorly planned at best, and at worst, a risk to farmland, citizens of rural Ontario, and the environment.
Quit using prime farmland in rural Ontario as dumping ground for the GTA's waste!