Chatham-Kent is urging area residents to show a united front against the proposed reopening of a dormant landfill near Dresden.
The municipality held a public meeting at the Ken Houston Memorial Agricultural Centre on Monday to provide residents with information on local efforts to oppose plans to re-establish and expand waste processing operations at 29831 Irish School Rd.
The Ontario government announced legislation last month, which proposes removing comprehensive environmental assessment (EA) requirements for the property to allow Mississauga-based company York1 Waste Solutions to move forward with the development of the landfill.
York1’s plans to reopen the landfill site were made public in early 2024 and were met with significant public backlash. Chatham-Kent Council and municipal administration have unanimously opposed the project.
During Monday’s meeting, municipal staff delivered a presentation to approximately 400 concerned residents, which included the history of the landfill site and how the province’s current legislation will exempt York1 from any environmental requirements when developing the site.
“What the province has proposed with this legislation is to eliminate all of those studies that we think would likely prove exactly what you all know, which is this [landfill] should not be 800 meters from our town,” said Dave Taylor, Chatham-Kent’s director of legal services.
Taylor said it is imperative that the community show its united opposition to the landfill by submitting a comment to the province through the Environmental Registry of Ontario website. The 30-day comment period ends on May 17.
“Make sure that you give your personal stories. Explain how much you love Dresden, explain how you think this [landfill] is going to impact you, your family, your future,” he said. “We need to double or triple that community opposition. The province needs to hear how this would impact Dresden and how opposed this community is to this proposal.
“We really need a strong community response.”
Local community groups opposing the landfill development, Dresden C.A.R.E.D. and Dresden Together, were also in attendance at the meeting to assist residents who wished to submit their comments to the province.
Municipal officials also announced on Monday that Mayor Darrin Canniff recently sent a letter to Environment Minister Todd McCarthy expressing Chatham-Kent’s opposition to the proposed legislation and strongly urging the province to reconsider its position.
“This is a letter that the mayor has already sent to the Ministry of the Environment, really stressing how much of a devastating impact this would have on Dresden if this was approved,” said Taylor.
The letter has also been posted online through the municipality’s newly launched website, DefendDresden.ca.
The municipality pledged to keep the community informed on its efforts as it pursues every available legal avenue to prevent the landfill development.
“I wish we had more answers for you tonight about what everything is going to look like but we don’t,” said Chatham-Kent CAO Michael Duben. “This will not be the last public meeting that we’ll have. When we know more, we will be here again and we’ll share whatever information we have.”
Anyone who was unable to attend Monday’s public meeting can attend an information recap hosted by Dresden Together at the Old Czech Hall on Wednesday at 7 p.m.
