This correspondence is to…

This correspondence is to register our concerns regarding the application for removing Environmental Assessment requirements for the York1 Waste Disposal Site Project ERO#025-0389.

We have owned and occupied our residence adjacent to the proposed site for 27 years and during that time, the site has only operated as a waste wood recycling/shredding business. A landfill license may exist but it is currently dormant and hasn't been active since the early 1980's. Previous activities at this site were conducted a far distance from our property line and consisted of a 1 person operation. Truck traffic and equipment operation was limited to very infrequent activities. Operations would normally not begin before 9:30 AM and end at dark. The general consensus within the community is that this was a closed landfill site used for a specific purpose and couldn't be re-opened as a landfill.

Concerns:

The removal of the environmental assessment requirements under the guise of 'Protecting Ontario' is pure panic politics. It would also exempt the project from other EA requirements without directly stating what those 'other requirements'. This proposal along with Bill 5 is being rushed through using tariff threats as fear mongering for this specific project. There are currently other active landfill sites in the vicinity which have not yet reached their limit or are currently in the process of adding additional capacity. These sites have been operating for a number of years with local support. This site is the worst location one could pick for such an activity. It is too close to the Town of Dresden and will completely devalue any properties or businesses in the local area. A major food processor will likely close and relocate and destroy the local economy. It will destroy a main water source for many communities downstream because it will eventually have a spill from their reservoirs, just like what happens after heavy rains in Sarnia and Michigan.

This site is located where there is a significant waterway and woodland area as well as a floodplain. There is currently no water services, wastewater services or infrastructure on this site. There are residential properties (such as ours) directly attached to the site and we have a well as our only source of water. A project of this size given free rein with no environmental tests or assessments puts us and other at risk without any other options.

The proposed development is hoping to operate 24/7/365 with up to 700 trucks per day moving through the facility. No air quality testing? No vibration level limits? No noise level? air particulate? No testing of subsurface migration of landfill gasses?

This location (rural) does not have the infrastructure to support the level of activity proposed. Current roadway capacity alone barely supports the increased activity during farming operations.

The Environmental Compliance requirements that the project would be subject to are much less stringent than the current Environmental Assessment status that has been determined.

In the proposal it mentions that the project would be subject to 'strong provincial oversight'. Based on past landfill reviews and complaints as well as personal experience with the previous operation, this oversight is done on a complaints related basis, not regular Ministry monitoring and usually results in lengthy investigations and maybe fines for the company but no remediation of the damages caused by the infractions.

This site went through the appropriate process to make the determination for the full Environmental Assessment but the Ontario government has now back tracked on their own established rules and wants to override any local concerns with this proposal. This along with Bill 5 are examples of total government overreach and are very disappointing.