New laws from the Ministry…

New laws from the Ministry of Environment state that 3.5 km is the required distance. The Ministry of Environment also states, that anything under 3km may cause adverse effects. Our entire town will be within a 3km radius of this megadump.

The responsible thing to do when building what will eventually be a megadump (stated by their specislist at table 4 at the information session they held), would be to keep it 3.5 km from any town.

YORK1 is doing their best to avoid environmental assessments.
They are using a permit from 1979 that was issued by the town of Dresden to bury 95% fly ash on a small plot (approximately 2 acres was used) and are stating that they don’t have to have an environmental assessment to expand because it is an existing landfill. They are calling the area a landfill but it was not a landfill, the permission in 1979 given by the town of Dresden, was for fly ash only. It has been dormant over 30 years. The previous owner that sold this property to York1 was fined for the condition of the property, as it isn’t a dump. He was fined because the area is not zoned as a landfill or dump.

The permit was originally issued to the town of Dresden, which had a much smaller population in 1979. This permit was strictly for the waste from the town incinerator. This was never intended as a landfill or dump.

YORK1 is stating that they are not required to do road studies. They can just start sending trucks daily to unload. Eventually there will be up to 700 trucks daily and 2 Million tonnes of waste annually to their NEW facility, they are doing their own study just for our benefit. Our roads are not built for this type if traffic, they are already in rough shape.

Dresden is a farming community, farm equipment frequents our community at a very slow pace causing traffic delays. Harvest and planting season can be chaotic on the roads.

Dresden children are on busses on these roads for up to 4 hours daily, 10 months out of the year. This seems very irresponsible in my opinion. These types of facilities need to be in an area close to major highways like 401 to keep our communities and children safe from this type of traffic.

YORK1 is trying to reopen a long dormant plot that has fly ash. They want to dig it up and “move” it. The ash is safer left where it is undisturbed, in our communities opinion.

Under the non-conforming law this property ceased to be a landfill for 95% fly ash, approximately 40 years ago. This is not a short period of time. The land use was zoned differently by the municipality and the non-conforming right should NOT BE allowed, the zoning will not be changed by the municipality.

YORK1 cannot 100% guarantee that zero municipal waste will go into the megadump from the GTA.

YORK1 is starting off with a smaller proposal, once they get the okay, expanding into a megadump is much easier as stated at table 4 in the last information session and they avoid an environmental assessment. This is so wrong.

We have 83 endangered species at risk in our area, this is a huge concern as well.

The property is located in a flood plain which is of huge concern. There is a marsh, pond and creeks on the property as well that connect to the Sydenham River.

There are two schools within 1km of the YORK1 property and a third within 3km which the Ministry of the Environment states may cause adverse effects.

Blackburn cemetery is .66km from the property and the Dresden cemetery is less than 1km.

Conagra is also a food processing facility in Dresden. This seems irresponsible to say the least.

Noise pollution is a huge concern as well, they want to operate 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. This is so close to our town that houses are definitely going to hear the trucks coming and going as well as the equipment working.

The Josiah Henson Museum of African Canadian History is a historical site located in Dresden as well. I see having a megadump this close to such an important part of our African Canadian heritage as very disrespectful.

Please consider these concerns very seriously.