To whom it may concern, …

To whom it may concern,

This letter is to express concern for the well-being and health of the local community and the potential adverse effects on the Sydenham watershed, should the proposal for the expansion and relocation of the small dormant landfill along with the development of a Regenerative Recycling Facility put forth to the Environmental Registry of Ontario by York1 be approved.

I, LIKE MANY OTHERS, am contesting on the grounds of probable degradation to the natural environment and to the very livelihood of Dresden and surrounding area.

This letter aims to provide supplementary information and relevant concerns regarding the history of the site, the significance of the watershed, as well as the potential ecological damage that this expansion would impose on the Sydenham watershed.

Site of Proposed Dump Expansion

York1 Environmental Waste Solutions Ltd plans to expand a defunct 2-acre waste disposal site on 29831 Irish School Road to 80 acres. Historically, this site had been established to dispose of ash from the town’s garbage incinerator, and according to land transfer records, it was sold by ‘Dresden Tile Yard’ to the Town of Dresden in 1979. Subsequently, on November 20, 1980, the town received a license to use the property for waste disposal insofar as 95% of waste product disposed of onsite was fly ash. It was also previously owned by an individual and was allowed to do some small-scale recycled wood operation. I saw this mentioned as up to 75 T/day being allowed but I have not scrutinized this.

Under York1’s current proposal, up to 7,000 tons of waste will be disposed of daily, running 24 hours per day, 7 days a week. According to York1’s proposal, up to 700 trucks can be expected to enter the site daily. The NOISE alone would cause a major detrimental impact for the whole town of Dresden as well as for anyone living on the roads to be travelled on by all those heavy transport trucks that would run 24 hours a day , 7 days a week! Consideration must also be given to all the routes these trucks would take to get to Dresden.

Additionally, this site is less than 1 km from the town of Dresden. Historical evidence in Ontario has shown that the minimum distance within which adverse effects could be experienced while a landfill is operating is 3 km. There is cause for concern regarding the proximity of the proposed dump site to the municipality of Dresden on so many levels.

The Sydenham Watershed

Please see the website link www.sydenhamriver.on.ca from which the following facts have been provided here.

The Sydenham watershed consists of two primary branches: the East and North Sydenham Rivers. The East Sydenham River is far more diverse in habitat availability and among its inhabitants are 34 species of mussels, acting as filter feeders and keeping these waters healthy, and 80 species of fish that depend on the waters of the Sydenham for feeding and reproduction. Of these, 15 species of mussels and 10 species of fish have been classified as Endangered, Threatened, or of Special Concern by the Committee on the Status of Endangered Wildlife in Canada (COSEWIC). A prime example of a species at risk of extinction is the Northern Riffleshell mussel, once wide spread across the Great Lakes river basins. It calls a 91 km stretch of the East Sydenham home. This creature has experienced a 95% habitat loss over the last century. The Sydenham River is one of only two watercourses in Canada that still supports this mussel and is home to one of only three reproducing populations in the world. The Northern Riffleshell is classified as ENDANGERED under COSEWIC, SARA and SARO. So, again, the proposed plans by York1 directly threaten the existence of the Northern Riffleshell and many more SAR that rely on the Sydenham River. There are also three snakes and five turtles that are Species At Risk (SAR).

Habitat in the North Sydenham River is less diverse and has poorer channel morphology. The East Sydenham River, however, supports much biodiversity and must be protected. In support of this acknowledgement, I present the following;

Again, form the website for the Sydenham Watershed [www.sydenhamriver.on.ca], please see the specifics regarding this information.

Species at Risk in the Sydenham

The Sydenham River supports an amazing diversity of aquatic life. It is home to at least 34 mussel species and 80 fish species. More than 20 fish and mussels in the Sydenham are Species at Risk (SAR). The watershed also supports many other semi-aquatic SAR including amphibians, turtles, snakes, and dragonflies. Some of these species are found nowhere else in Canada or remain in only a few locations globally. The Sydenham watershed is of global conservation concern for the persistence of these species.

From the 2018 Sydenham Action Plan:

Some of these species, such as Rayed Bean, occur in only one other location in Canada and persist in only a few locations in North America. The Salamander Mussel is found nowhere else in Canada and is considered globally vulnerable. The Northern Riffleshell population in the Sydenham River is one of only three remaining relatively healthy and reproducing populations globally. Consequently, the Sydenham River is of global significance to the conservation of these species.”

Learn more about the species at risk that are home to the Sydenham:Picture of a hand holding a variety of mussels from the Sydenham River, Picture

Mussels at Risk

Eastern Pondmussel

Fawnsfoot

Kidneyshell

Lilliput

Mapleleaf

Northern Riffleshell

Purple Wartyback

Rainbow

Rayed Bean

Round Hickorynut

Round Pigtoe

Salamander Mussel

Snuffbox

Threehorn Wartyback

Wavy-rayed Lampmussel

Picture of a northern sunfish in a clear viewing box, a medium-sized, deep-bodied fish that is colourful and has a dark gill flap, Picture

Fishes at Risk

Blackstripe Topminnow

Eastern Sand Darter

Grass Pickerel

Northern Madtom

Northern Sunfish

Pugnose Minnow

Pugnose Shiner

River Darter

Silver Lamprey

Spotted Sucker

Picture of an adult Eastern Foxsnake, a large, tan snake with brown blotches and a reddish-brown head., Picture

Snakes at Risk

Eastern Foxsnake

Eastern Hog-nosed Snake

Eastern Milksnake

Picture of a Eastern Spiny Softshell hatchling among grasses at the waters edge, a brown turtle with a spotted, leathery shell and pointy upturned snout., Picture

Turtles at Risk

Blanding’s Turtle

Midland Painted Turtle

Northern Map Turtle

Snapping Turtle

Spiny Softshell

How are SAR protected?

The federal Species at Risk Act (SARA) and the Ontario Endangered Species Act, 2007 (ESA) automatically protect species classified as extirpated, endangered or threatened as well as their habitat. Through the 1996 Accord for the Protection of Species at Risk, the federal, provincial, and territorial governments agreed to develop complementary legislation and programs to effectively protect SAR throughout Canada.

For species listed as threatened, endangered or extirpated, it is illegal to:

kill, harm, harass, capture, or take an individual

possess, collect, buy, sell or trade an individual

damage or destroy the habitat

In light of this information alone it seems obvious the proposal by York1 cannot be allowed to go forward!

Of course, there are other issues that would result from the dump site such as increased heavy vehicular traffic, which local roads are not designed to handle, constant truck noise, site smashing and grinding noise, dust, odour, and other air emissions (think diesel).

But back to the Environment…

There is a feeder waterway, called Molly’s Creek which cuts right though the proposed dump site (see Fig. 1). This spring-fed creek feeds directly into the East Sydenham River and is of utmost concern for the probable facilitation of pollution spread.

As presented on March 1st, 2024, by York1 at a town meeting where York1 had a hydrologist to show site plans regarding storm water management, it was stated by him that there would be holding ponds that would overflow right into Molly’s Creek during heavy rain events. The holding ponds are meant to handle leachates. Due to the multitude of highly concentrated water substances, landfill leachate is one of the most difficult waste waters to handle or treat. Designs meant to handle 100 year rain events, of which there have been several recent ones, and more are likely to keep coming due to climate change, would obviously allow contamination of the environmentally risk averse Sydenham River.

Conclusion

Our whole community is voicing its concerns regarding the pollution that would occur, especially, but not limited to, ground and surface water contamination by leachate, surface runoff, and contaminant discharge.

And again, I must mention some of the other issues of concern. NOISE, traffic, dust, pollution, and property devaluation for the whole area are only some of the detrimental issues. The list is long.

I therefore voice my concerns, in concert with the whole community of Dresden and surrounding area, regarding the proposed dump site expansion put forth by York1.

Thank you for your time and consideration. See attached below.

Supplementary Figures and Tables: Fig. 1.

Text Box 1, TextboxAerial view of a green field

Description automatically generated with medium confidence, Picture