Municipal officials say a recent decision to make a Mississauga-based company go through a comprehensive environment assessment over plans to reopen a dormant landfill in Dresden will add years to the proposed project.
Last month, the province announced that York1 Environmental Solutions will have to go through a full Environmental Assessment (EA) if they want to move forward with the revival of the dormant Dresden Dump. It puts a pause on the project for the next few years.
An environmental assessment requires the assessment of potential environmental impacts and public consultation. It will likely take many years to complete if York1 wants to move forward on its plans to revive the former Dresden Dump. They would also be on the hook for paying for the EA, which could cost millions.
David Taylor, Chatham-Kent’s head of legal services, said that with the province saying the project will need a full EA, it will have to restart its entire process.
Since the province announced on June 28, York1 has not made any public announcements on how they are going to proceed. Taylor said the municipality has also received no communication from York1 about their future plans.
Bruce McAllister, Chatham-Kent’s general manager of community development, told council at their July 15 meeting that with an environmental assessment needed, he estimates that it will take a minimum of five years for York1 to complete the EA and get approval.
“It could be beyond that, depending on the nature of the consultation and the study requirements and approval processes,” McAllister said.
York1 said earlier this year they plan to build a new landfill on the Irish School Road site and create a construction and soil waste recycling centre. Dresden residents expressed opposition to the plans due to the increased traffic and potential environmental issues that could arise.
York1 initial plans were to have up to 700 trucks come to their site, which is just north of Dresden. Those trucks would come around the clock and bring up to 6,000 tonnes of construction waste and soil in up to 700 trucks a day to the site.