I am writing in opposition…

I am writing in opposition to ERO 025-0389: Removing Environmental Assessment Requirements for the York1 Waste Disposal Site Project.
My opposition to the removal of the Environmental Assessment (EA) Requirements is based on several criteria which would undergo further review under an EA. The community of Dresden which is located less than 1 km from the site of the proposed facility serves as a hub for the surrounding area, a gathering space for community, sporting and recreational events, while also being the location of secondary and elementary schools for the neighboring rural areas. Up to this point the parties involved with this proposal have not invested nearly enough time understanding the challenges which will be presented by developing a waste disposal site here. The community as a whole has been left feeling alienated with limited company engagement to attempt to clarify these issues.
While there is currently a waste disposal site at this location, the size and scope of it are minimal. The project which YORK1 is proposing would be a fundamental change to the impact t on the surrounding area. An EA would likely acknowledge some of the inherent flaws with the location of this site; including but not limited to the proximity to multiple waterways, increased requirements on the bridges and roads to allow the trucks to make their way to a site that has no easy or direct access points to the sources of prospective waste generators and the proximity of schools located less than 1 km away.
The other major concern which would be also acknowledged in the EA would be the capabilities of the applicant to manage a site of the size and scope which is proposed. Based on my research I can see no comparably sized operations which York1 currently operates in their local area, let alone one located more than 2 hours away. This is not to say they are not capable of managing the site in a responsible manor, but without further study, and the desire to sidestep further scrutiny, it does not offer a reassuring perspective.
The need for increased landfill capacity in Ontario is a challenge which I recognize, but if the only way to expedite the process is to not conduct an Environment Assessment, it begs the question of why can that not happen in a location which is inherently better suited for that purpose. If no EA is required to turn a very small facility into a much larger one, why not just do it in a place which makes more sense.
For these reasons and more I oppose ERO 025-0389: Removing Environmental Assessment Requirements for the York1 Waste Disposal Site Project.