Environmental Defence Canada…

Environmental Defence Canada (EDC) supports in principle the Ministry of Environment, Conservation and Parks’ (MECP) proposal to designate York1 Environmental Waste Solutions Ltd’s proposal to require a comprehensive Environmental Assessment of the project under the Environmental Assessment (EA) Act.

That is, while the EA designation is a step in the right direction, EDC’s position is that unless significant environmental safeguards are put into place to protect nearby species-at-risk and the environment from potential severe harm, the only reasonable outcome for the Minister is to cancel the project.

York1’s proposal raises a number of concerns that will need to be addressed when establishing the EA Terms of Reference. At a minimum, the MECP must require:

- completion of a comprehensive baseline characterization study of the site due to the uncertainties associated with potentially converting and expanding the former waste disposal site.
- completion of comprehensive species-at-risk assessment in order to achieve a baseline understanding of the species-at-risk located on and nearby the proposed landfill site.
- comprehensive consultation with potentially affected Indigenous communities to discuss how the EA should be scoped to prevent or mitigate any potential impacts that the proposed project may have on their Aboriginal or treaty rights, established or asserted.

Unless the Ministry is able to frame the EA to enable the most stringent environmental safeguards to be put into place, the Minister may have no choice but to reject York1’s proposal as it may well be the wrong place for the wrong project.