Law gags St. Clair authority on Dresden-area recycling, landfill plan: official

Many Dresden-area residents have raised water safety concerns with a regenerative recycling facility and landfill proposed north of the community.

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The St. Clair Region Conservation Authority, which has jurisdiction over the waterways near the proposed operation, also has concerns with the project, but can’t discuss them publicly.

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“Unfortunately, because of changes to the Conservation Authorities Act, there would be concerns that we would have, but we are no longer allowed to comment on those types of things,” said authority general manager Ken Phillips.

This includes natural heritage, such as trees, woodlots, forests and species at risk, he said.

“That has been taken out of our jurisdiction by the province,” Phillips said.

York1 Environmental Waste Solutions Ltd. has applied to Ontario’s Environment Ministry to restart and expand a waste disposal site at 29831 Irish School Rd., north of Dresden, to operate a regenerative recycling facility to divert construction waste from landfills.

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The application proposes an eight-hectare (20-acre) waste disposal site for non-hazardous materials. It also calls for building a regenerative recycling facility to accept up to 6,000 tonnes a day of non-hazardous solid waste, including construction and demolition waste and excess soil, for beneficial reuse.

York1 also wants the site to run 24 hours a day, seven days a week.

York1 could not be reached for comment.

John Lamers recently erected a sign several meters long in front of his family’s property on Irish School Road, near the proposed York1 facility, outlining his concerns.

The potential impact on his water well and the possibility of pollution entering Molly’s Creek, which runs by the proposed operation to the Sydenham River, are among his concerns.

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Lamers doubts the 6,000 tons of construction materials and soil brought in daily would be processed the same day. If there’s heavy rain, he wonders how long materials, including soil, would leach into the creek before they’re recycled.

And “because what they’re proposing to do is going to be so big,” he doubts there are ways to minimize the impact, he said.

Long-time Dresden resident Jim Coutts is concerned what impact flooding at the proposed recycling facility and landfill could have on local waterways, especially since it would flow into the Sydenham River.

He has been researching major floods in Dresden from 1904 to 1985 that saw the Sydenham River rise, leaving streets underwater.

“It’s going to happen again, but we don’t know when,” Coutts said.

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Less than two weeks ago, the Sydenham River was only about 30 centimeters from coming up onto the street, he said. “It was lucky we had no snow.”

“The Sydenham is one of the cleaner rivers in Ontario,” Coutts added.

“The threat (of future floods) is always still there for Dresden,” the authority’s Phillips said.

“There are no major water control structures that are holding back water for the town.” he added.

Phillips said a primary purpose of the SRC is “prevention of loss of life and property from flooding.”

Parts of the York1 site fall within the flood hazard area determined by the authority, he said, “so . . . in order to proceed we are requiring certain studies to be done.”

If these studies are not completed, he added, “We would not support the thing going into the flood hazard area.”

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Coutts is concerned about the 150 trucks a day expected when the site is fully operational, especially in case of flooding.

“Why don’t they buy land around Toronto where the (materials) are coming from. . . and do one of these (facilities)?” he said.

Lamers also is concerned about the extra traffic, especially since his son and grandchildren live in his Irish School Road house, the family home for nearly 50 years.

“I’m concerned about their health, their safety getting on and off the school bus with all the extra trucks going by,” he said.

Lamers said he’s also concerned for potential water impacts on surrounding communities, including Wallaceburg, Walpole Island and Mitchell’s Bay, and for traffic effects on Petrolia, Thamesville and Bothwell.

“This is just not about me and my property,” he said. “It’s about everyone.”

York1 is holding a public meeting March 1 to discuss its proposed project. The meeting begins at 6 pm at the Ken Houston Memorial Agricultural Center at 1212 North St. in Dresden. There will be seating for 300 on a first-come, first-served basis.

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