As a resident of Wallaceburg…

As a resident of Wallaceburg, living on the Snye River — which is directly fed by the Sydenham River — I strongly oppose the proposal to exempt the Dresden landfill project from a full Environmental Assessment (EA).

This site is dangerously close to residential homes (500 metres), a school (800 metres), protected wetlands, floodplains, and active farmland. Even more concerning, it sits on top of the Kettle Point aquifer — the same formation linked to the Wheatley explosion in 2021. That disaster should be a wake-up call. We know now from York1’s own documents that explosive methane gas is already present on-site and at dangerous levels.

Allowing a project of this scale and risk to move forward without a full Environmental Assessment is both reckless and unacceptable — especially considering:
    •    There are no clearly defined waste volume or site limits
    •    No approved Operation Plan exists
    •    No confirmation of soil stability or geotechnical safety
    •    The site plans include handling asbestos and other hazardous materials
    •    The land was not a landfill, but a fly ash site from a town incinerator (1970s–early 1980s), later used as a police bomb/gun range without any environmental review

This is not an “expansion” of an existing landfill — it’s a repurposing of land that carries serious risks and unknowns.

As someone downstream on the Snye River, any contamination or failure at this site directly threatens our water, our ecosystem, and the health of families in Wallaceburg and surrounding areas. The Sydenham River is our lifeline, and what happens in Dresden flows to us — literally and figuratively.

The people of Wallaceburg, Dresden, Chatham-Kent — this entire region — do not want this. We are united in opposition.

I call on the Ministry to:
    •    Reject the exemption clause in Bill 5 for this site
    •    Immediately reinstate a full Environmental Assessment
    •    Honor the commitments made to the community in 2024

Don’t let Dresden become another Wheatley. We’re not just asking for red tape — we’re demanding safety, transparency, and respect for the land and people of southwestern Ontario.