'We are taking action': Municipality issues update on proposed Dresden, Ont. waste management facility

The Municipality of Chatham-Kent is not backing down in its fight against a proposed waste management facility, with the municipality filing a submission and the mayor penning a letter to Ontario’s Ministry of the Environment.

According to a news release from the Municipality of Chatham-Kent, on Feb. 26, 2024 council requested that Mayor Darrin Canniff author a letter to the minster of Environment, Conservation and Parks to illustrate the concerns expressed by the community and council’s opposition to a proposed waste management facility, located one kilometre north of Dresden, that first came to light in January 2024.

Canniff has since submitted a letter to Ontario's Minister of the Environment, Conservation and Parks Andrea Khanjin, illustrating Chatham-Kent's serious concerns with the proposals.

In addition, the municipality has completed a submission to the ministry in response to the initial application from York1 Environmental Waste Solutions Ltd. to allow for an increase in waste processing capacity.

Over the coming the weeks, the municipality will also prepare a submission on the second application regarding the proposed reopening of a closed landfill in advance of the April 11, 2024 submission deadline.

Council also authorized the retention of technical experts to advance concerns through the ministry consultation process if required, and to make submissions to the province in opposition to the applications for a waste processing, storage and transfer and landfilling facility based on the planning, environmental, legal and landfill engineering information that was gathered by March 16, 2024, according to the release.

“I would like to make it patently clear that I stand with the people of Dresden, with the people of Chatham-Kent, and with our neighbours in the County of Lambton,” said Canniff in the news release. “We all have serious concerns with this proposal from York1, and together with council, we are taking action.”

 

The minister's reaction 

On Friday, Ontario's Minister of the Environment, Conservation and Parks Andrea Khanjin issued a statement on X, the social media platform formerly known as Twitter, regarding the proposed facility. 

"In recent weeks, I’ve heard concerns raised by the local community and municipality regarding York1’s proposal to reopen and expand a dormant landfill.

This site was established over 40 years ago, prior to Ontario’s requirement that landfills undergo an environmental assessment. In keeping with the process that any other landfill would be required to undergo today, I will be taking steps to require this project to complete a comprehensive environmental assessment under the Environmental Assessment Act.

This would require this site to address local community concerns and mitigate potential impacts before it could open.”

 

The two applications

Home to a previously closed landfill, York1 purchased the 80-acre property at 29831 Irish School Rd. in the fall of 2023.

York1 has put two applications before the province, the first being to open a recycling facility focused on diverting construction materials away from the landfill, such as drywall, wood, plastic and shingles. The second application is for the expansion of the former landfill.

The company intends to recycle 80 per cent of the bricks, wood and steel they bring to Dresden and the 20 per cent that has no further use, they will ship to a landfill in Michigan.

According to George Kirchmair, vice-president environmental for York1, the plan is not to build a dump.

“We have no intentions on bringing any municipal household waste or garbage to this facility,” he said in a Feb. 29, 2024 interview with CTV News Windsor. “We have no intentions on bringing any odorous garbage to this location. It'll be non-odorous construction materials. We don't plan to change that in future.”

 

Community contention 

On Jan. 29, 2024 and Feb. 26, 2024 the Municipality of Chatham-Kent was notified by the Ontario Ministry of Environment, Conservation and Parks that York1 had filed applications for a new waste processing site and landfill.

In response, council passed a unanimous motion opposing the proposals on Feb. 26, 2024, and called on the province to reject the planned project.

As previously reported by CTV News Windsor, multiple reasons have been brought up pertaining to pushback on the proposed facilities, including a lack of consultation with the municipality, Dresden’s infrastructure not capable of supporting the facility, noise pollution, and environmental impacts.

 

'Let’s talk' about the facility

The municipality has since created a Let’s Talk page containing information about the proposed facility, including FAQs about the process, information received to date regarding the applications, and the presentation delivered to council on Feb. 26, 2024.

The municipality is reminding residents that comments can be submitted by the public to the province on the application, including the landfill proposal, which closes on April 11, 2024. The recycling facility proposal deadline closed on March 16, 2024.

“I encourage everyone to visit the Let’s Talk page to get their information and to send comments on the Ontario environmental registry website,” said Canniff.

- With files from CTV News Windsor’s Michelle Maluske