PLEASE do not approve York1…

PLEASE do not approve York1’s proposal for this landfill in Dresden!!! What they are proposing is nothing close to what was done at the site before and it has been dormant for years. While they say they will be landfilling only non-hazardous material, I find that very hard to believe given all of the toxins that are frequently found in old construction sites. It is also evidently clear that York1 plans to expand this landfill and operations even further given that they have purchased massive amounts of prime farmland on each side. This will bring the dump metres away from our town consisting of upwards of 2500 individuals. This will destroy our town and all of its members. The impacts this dump has had on all of our mental health and wellbeing is already clearly apparent. Our whole livelihood is on the line here and we are so worried about our health and the health of our families and children. This site is way too close to our waterways and to our homes. It’s also in a flooding zone and there is no way to prevent contamination of our water under these conditions. Why would anyone want to risk this? I am so thankful to Andrea Khanjin for requiring that York1 undergo a complete environmental assessment and I am begging you to please not let this proposal be approved. There has to be a better place for this. How can a dormant landfill be able to reopen as a mega dump less than 1 kilometre from a town when the health risks associated with this are clearly well documented. This is not incinerator fly ash and this landfill has not been used in years. This community is also so much bigger than it was back then. Please hear our concerns and please shut this down. Our entire town, municipality, council, mayor and all political parties have issued statements saying they are against this. How can the host municipality have no say when it’s us who would have to be living beside it and putting our health and children’s health on the line? Thank you so much for your time and attention to this matter.

An excerpt from an article regarding adverse effects of living near a landfill, article attached below:

Research shows adverse health effects most likely occur within a 1.8 mile boundary around a Superfund site. Approximately 21 million people live within a mile (PDF) of a Superfund site, potentially exposing them all to harmful chemicals and toxins such as lead, arsenic, and mercury. The release of these chemicals can endanger water supply, air quality, and ground conditions, leading to detrimental community health consequences.

Residents of nearby communities have a high risk for life-long and long-term mental and physical health challenges, including cancer, birth defects, and developmental disabilities. Children are especially vulnerable to chemical exposure because of their higher intake (PDF) of air, food, and water per unit of body weight. Research suggests living near toxic waste sites reduces lifespans by an average of 1.2 years.

Climate change is increasing the frequency and severity of natural disasters, which could destabilize hundreds of thousands of toxic wastesites and increase nearby residents’ exposure risk. In recent years, torrential rains, flooding, and winds from hurricanes have led to the emissions of hazardous substances and volatile organic compounds from pipelines and storage tanks into the air, groundwater, and drinking water. One report found 945 Superfund sites are vulnerable to severe weather events. Because communities of color are most likely to live near Superfund sites, they’re most vulnerable to these health and environmental risks.

What are the implications of these compounding risks?
East Houston’s Fifth Ward and Kashmere Gardens are located near three Superfund sites and an old rail yard that, although not officially designated as a Superfund site, is leaking creosote and other carcinogenic chemicals (PDF) into the groundwater and soil.

Over time, exposure to these chemicals and toxins has created a cancer cluster (PDF) affecting adults and children and has caused more than a dozen cancer-related deaths. The Houston Department of Health’s IMPACT health survey found 43 percent of households in the affected neighborhoods reported a cancer diagnosis, compared with Houston’s average cancer rate of 6.1 percent. Households also reported irregular menstruation, low-birth rate, infertility, allergies, diabetes, and high blood pressure.

These health impacts are having cascading effects on family finances. The survey revealed households with a cancer diagnosis reported an increase in unpaid medical bills and overall debt and faced utility shutoffs, which make access to safe, quality housing even more precarious.

Hurricane Harvey magnified these health and financial effects. Flooding from the hurricane caused runoff and chemicals to leak from sewage and toxic waste sites. Though the chemical concerns have largely gone unaddressed, the City of Houston, supported by the state health department, began playing an active role in 2019.

Since then, local and state officials have engaged with the EPA and Union Pacific to ensure remediation and cleanup activities meet the community’s needs.