Since the news dropped on…

Since the news dropped on Thursday evening of the government's intentions to cancel the environmental assessment for the proposed project in Dresden, I can't sleep. I wonder what kind of country we live in when there is such a disregard for the safety and well being of species at risk, our environment, and the Canadian people? We know landfills are needed, however, we are also aware of the many risks they pose. This particular project is literally on top of our town. Would anyone with any sense put a landfill in a town? More than 3000 Ontarians will be negatively affected by the traffic created bringing loads of waste to this site, the toxic particulate that will be released into the air we breathe, the potential poisoning of our waterway; Molly's Creek and the Sydenham River, compromise our local wells that directly feed homes, the noise pollution created from the grinders and shredders and the leaching of toxins into our soil. Chatham Kent has some of the most arable land in Ontario but you want to use it for garbage? Does that even make sense? As the Ministry of Environment, you are entrusted to protect our land, our species and our people. A full environmental assessment is needed in this situation because of the location of this particular property. Please don't say it was zoned a landfill and try to justify this project. It has been a dormant landfill for 40 years, back before we knew the risks landfills pose and it was shut down for a reason. I hope that doing the right thing and protecting people and the environment is more important than big business. We write laws because they are necessary to protect Canada and it's citizens. We don't get to change laws just because they are inconvenient. That is not a democratic society.