Subject: Financial and…

Subject: Financial and Economic Risks of Bill 5 and the Proposed Irish School Road Landfill Expansion

I am writing to express deep concern regarding the economic prudence of Bill 5, the Protect Ontario by Unleashing Our Economy Act, 2025, and specifically its impact on the proposed landfill expansion on Irish School Road in Dresden.

While Bill 5 is positioned as a driver of economic efficiency, proceeding with landfill expansion without comprehensive environmental assessments exposes Ontario to enormous and unnecessary financial risks — risks that could ultimately cost taxpayers far more than any short-term economic gain.

Environmental remediation is not hypothetical — it is an expensive certainty when projects are rushed. Across Canada, the cleanup costs for groundwater contamination from landfill leakage commonly exceed $10 million to $50 million per site. A single significant failure at the Irish School Road facility could trigger multimillion-dollar liability claims for groundwater decontamination, agricultural land losses, and health impacts on nearby residents.

Moreover, increased litigation risk from affected communities could easily spiral into the tens of millions in legal fees and settlements, as seen in comparable cases. For example, class action lawsuits against polluting sites in Ontario and Quebec have resulted in settlements upwards of $15 million to $30 million — excluding reputational damage to the province’s investment climate.

Beyond direct costs, there are indirect but equally serious financial implications:

• Loss of agricultural productivity: Dresden’s economy relies heavily on farming, which in turn depends on clean groundwater. A reduction in agricultural output would erode local GDP and drive up costs for food supply chains.
• Depressed property values: Properties near waste processing sites routinely lose 15-30% of their value, shrinking the municipal tax base and forcing future budget shortfalls onto the government.
• Detriment to Ontario’s clean economy reputation: Fast-tracking outdated waste management practices undermines Ontario’s efforts to attract investment in green technology, recycling innovation, and renewable energy sectors — all key growth areas identified in provincial economic strategies.

Ignoring these very real risks in a rush to “unleash” capacity is not sound economic management; it is short-sightedness that could burden taxpayers for decades. No serious private sector investor would greenlight an expansion of this scale without rigorous due diligence. The people of Ontario deserve the same standard of fiscal responsibility.

I urge you, to reconsider the application of Bill 5 to the Irish School Road landfill project. A genuine commitment to Ontario’s economic health requires full environmental assessments, transparent cost analysis, and strategic planning — not reactive deregulation.

Thank you for your time and consideration. I look forward to your response and to seeing the government exercise the financial prudence Ontario’s taxpayers expect.