A GTA-based company is hosting a community presentation this weekend regarding the proposed expansion of a Dresden waste site, which has drawn the ire of local residents.
York1 Environmental Waste Solutions Ltd., headquartered in Mississauga, filed a proposal to the province last week to expand operations at 29831 Irish School Road.
Representatives from the company will be at Christ Church, located at 350 St. George St. S, at 1 p.m. on Saturday to make a presentation for “immediate neighbours” on the proposal.
The proposal submitted to the Ministry of Environment, Conservation and Parks is seeking approval to increase the area of the waste processing site to 25 hectares and allow for up to 7,000 tonnes of waste to be received by the facility each day; this includes 6,000 tonnes of non-hazardous solid waste, such as construction waste, demolition waste, and excess soil for beneficial reuse, and another 1,000 tonnes of residual waste.
According to information published online by York1, the site on Irish School Road will be converted into a Regenerative Recycling Facility, which is designed to manage waste materials efficiently and sustainably by extracting valuable resources for reuse, recycling, or conversion into energy in the form of alternative low carbon fuel.
York1 also stated that the facility will be primarily focused on construction materials and will not accept hazardous materials.
“York1’s Regenerative Recycling Facilities will be meticulously designed and operated to ensure minimal impact on local residents and the surrounding environment,” the company stated on its website. “The facility [in Irish School Road] will be primarily focused on construction materials and will not accept hazardous materials. Stringent measures, including advanced technologies and strict adherence to regulations, will mitigate any concerns around odours and contaminations.”
Several members of the Dresden community have raised concerns about York1’s proposal and have planned a community meeting of their own, set for 7 o’clock tonight at the Dresden Rotary Club on North Street.
Municipal officials said they only just became aware of the proposal this week but they are taking the matter “very seriously.”
“Administration is currently gathering additional information and will be seeking advice from technical experts regarding the application,” the municipality said in a news release.
