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City politicians have
some serious answering to do...
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March 15, 2006
Trash deal could bury opposition
City
inked landfill agreement in '01
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By DEREK PUDDICOMBE, OTTAWA SUN
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Carp landfill
in Ottawa on Tuesday Oct. 25, 2005. (Ottawa Sun Photo By Sean
Kilpatrick) |
THE CITY may have no choice but to
allow for the expansion of the Carp Rd. dump.
In a document obtained by the Sun
yesterday, a 2001 Ontario Municipal Board settlement between the
city and two landfill operators indicates the city may already have
agreed to "expidite" and "support" an application to extend the life
of the landfill site and others in the city.
The agreement was part of a
contract negotiated after amalgamation and included an agreement to
allow the expansion of the dump.
Waste Management (WM), the operator
of the Carp Rd. facility, and the city are involved in an
environmental assessment because WM is looking to extend the life of
the dump by 25 years and may need rezoning approvals from the city.
'ENHANCING' PROCESS
The 2001 document says Canadian
Waste Services (now WM) and its competitor Waste Services Inc. (WSI)
plan to "undertake certain activities for the purpose of enhancing
and improving their ability to collect, transport, process or
dispose of waste."
The activities to which the
document is referring include applying to the province and other
agencies for the "expansion of existing waste management operations
at landfills owned by CWS and WSI."
That's making Bay Coun. Alex Cullen
wonder if the city will be forced to accept expansion plans, despite
a growing outcry from nearby residents who complain about the smell
and a promise that the site would not continue to operate after it
reaches capacity in the next few years.
'EXPEDITE ... ZONING'
"Life has become more complicated,"
said Cullen. "It's not as simple as it once was."
Cullen is concerned about the part
of the document that says the city "agrees that it will expedite the
consideration of any necessary municipal zoning, official plan
amendment, site plan or building permit applications as applicable
and, provided an environmentally sound proposal is made, will
support the strategic landfill and diversion activities of CWS (now
WM) and WSI and any applications for provincial approval, including
Certificate(s) of Approval or amendments thereto, pursuant to the
Environmental Protection Act or Environmental Assessment Act as the
case may be."
A company official said at a recent
public meeting there was little chance the company would abandon its
expansion plans once it clears regulatory hurdles.
Mayor Bob Chiarelli sent a memo to
councillors yesterday calling for a special council meeting next
week to deal with a motion about the dump issue, expected to be
introduced by Goulbourn Coun. Janet Stavinga.
WM would not comment on the issue
yesterday.
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derek.puddicombe@ott.sunpub.com
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March 15, 2006
T.O. waste fears might force
expansion, MPP warns
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By JORGE BARRERA, OTTAWA SUN
With the possibility that
Toronto trash could soon be blocked from Michigan, a former
provincial environment minister and local MPP says Ontario's
environment minister likely won't stand in the way of the Carp.
Rd. dump expansion.
Ontario would face a garbage
crunch if Toronto is shut out and the province would have to
scramble to find somewhere to put the trash, said
Lanark-Carleton MPP Norm Sterling.
"The minister may be forced to
approve the landfill site at Carp," said Sterling.
Waste Management's landfill on
Carp Rd. is certified to receive garbage from anywhere in the
province, but WM has faced intense opposition from area
residents who don't want the landfill expanded.
Residents have called on the
city to stop the proposed expansion, but the Ministry of
Environment is in charge of the approval. Aides to Minister
Laurel Broten rebuffed repeated requests for interviews.
WM won't say what role the
Carp. Rd. dump would play if the U.S. border is closed. WM
operates a landfill in Michigan and sends some Canadian garbage
across the border.
"It is speculation to assume
that if the border were to close, that there would be waste from
outside of Eastern Ontario going to Ottawa," said WM spokesman
Wes Muir.
WM said it has up to 90% of its
landfill reserved for Ottawa waste.
Two U.S. senators and a
congressman have stepped up the pressure on the Department of
Homeland Security to block Canadian waste, saying it can't be
adequately inspected for security threats.
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