The Municipality has a meeting with York1 to discuss the proposed Dresden landfill.
During Monday night's council meeting, Deputy Chief Administrative Officer Dave Taylor said that York1’s Planning Consultant had ‘finally’ reached out for a meeting.
The announcement came after Councillor Rhonda Jubenville asked for an update on the proposal, following the denial of a Federal Impact Assessment.
Taylor expressed the municipality's disappointment.
“Dresden C.A.R.E.D. (Dresden Citizens Against Reckless Environmental Disposal) initiated a request asking for that designation, and Chatham Kent also sent in a similar request,” said Taylor. “We got a letter back from the President of the Impact Assessment Act agency saying they would not be designating this project, and what that means is that we're not getting that study by the federal government, which is really, really a shame. We're disappointed with that.”
Taylor also brought to light the fact that there are two big inaccuracies with the proposal York1 brought to the Federal Government.
“One of the really unfortunate things that York suggested in some of their materials to the federal government, they suggested they've been regularly meeting with the municipality, they suggested that the municipality was supportive of this project,” said Taylor.
York1 has spoken to some councillors but has never come to council as a whole, according to Councillor Jamie McGrail.
“Honestly, I have no idea how they could even come up with a statement like that,” said McGrail. “I just don't understand how they think they got a go-ahead from council, and the second piece of that is they have never spoken to council as a whole.”
Although a meeting with the York1 planner is a step, McGrail was hoping to get a meeting with the company itself.
“That's a little disappointing, but I hope that York1 hears that, number one, we do not support this, number two, there are steps you still have to do, they still need zoning, and number three, I hope that they come to us, up until now, they have not come to us.” McGrail continued.
McGrail added that the proposal does not comply with the government's rules regarding the distance of the landfill from Dresden, as well as local secondary and public schools.
“My biggest thing right now is how close it is, at 800 metres, to Dresden,” said McGrail, “If the province had abided by their own rules of that 3.5 kilometres, my speech would be a whole lot different, but going against established parameters, and their own established parameters, I just don't understand that.”
During the meeting, Taylor discussed other options for the Municipality to defend Dresden, noting that York1 will have to come to council for land use planning approvals.
“We'll continue working however we can to defend Dresden and try to stop this proposal,” said Taylor.
The York1 meeting is planned for the middle of November, with no exact date given to the public at this time.
