May 16, 2025 Dresden…

May 16, 2025

Dresden Landfill Comments
Environmental Assessment Branch
135 St. Clair Ave W, 4th Floor
Toronto, ON
M4V 1P5

Submitted via email to DresdenLandfill@ontario.ca and uploaded to the Registry

To whom it may concern,

Re: ERO-025-0389 Removing Environmental Assessment Requirements for the York1 Waste Disposal Site Project

We appreciate this opportunity to provide comments from a traffic and transportation perspective on EOR-025-0389. Our topline feedback is summarized below:
• Changes to waste management operations have potential impacts on traffic for those along the trucking route (and the surrounding environment).
• We support the decision outlined in ERO-019-8417 requiring a Comprehensive Environmental Assessment for the York1 proposed project before it can be implemented.
• Residents and owners of municipal roads (for both upper- and lower-tier) impacted by infrastructure projects should be engaged so as to ensure projects are hosted in willing communities, given the volume.
• If a Comprehensive Environmental Assessment cannot be conducted, we request that a Transportation Impact Assessment for the proposed operations at the York1 site be conducted in addition to the Environmental Compliance Approval proposed and shared with all neighbouring municipalities.
o The chosen inbound and outbound routes, as well as the volume of traffic needs to be determined so as to determine the impact on the service levels of the roads themselves, and the impact upon other vehicles, pedestrians, and cyclists.
• We would also prefer to have an Economic Assessment performed to determine the impacts of the chosen routes on the local businesses that may affect their level of service, and employment levels.

Proposed changes in York1 Waste Site operations – including types of waste accepted, waste processing activities and increases in amount of waste accepted daily – will all have potential impacts on traffic affecting neighbours and the environment. We recommend the Ministry revisit the proposal to streamline the expansion of the York1 site until the volume of waste being processed can be determined.

We support the decision outlined in ERO-019-8417 (related to the York1 proposal) posted June 28, 2024: requiring a Comprehensive Environmental Assessment for the proposed project before it can be implemented. The York1 project must also be required to fulfill the requirements under Part II.3 of the Environmental Assessment Act before it can proceed with implementing the project.

We appreciate the opportunity to provide our feedback and perspectives on the York1 Waste Disposal Site Project.

Sincerely,

Transportation Committee
Sarnia-Lambton Chamber of Commerce.

Enquiries:
Robin Cooke
Communication & Events
Sarnia Lambton Chamber of Commerce
519-336-2400
Rcooke@slchamber.ca