Municipality of Chatham-Kent Council made an emphatic statement at their Monday, February 26, 2024 meeting in regards to the proposed waste facility expansion project just outside of Dresden.
“I’m really pissed off about this,” Chatham-Kent Mayor Darrin Canniff said on Monday, after the issue was brought up at Council in the communication items portion of the meeting.
“They’ve done nothing. There are significant environmental issues, transportation issues, the location is one kilometre from Dresden. We find out about it through a filing through the Province. On top of all that, they don’t offer up so much as 10 cents of community benefits.”
Mayor Canniff added: “The nerve they have coming into our community to do that. That’s why we’re doing this tonight and that’s why it has been expedited… there has been zero communication, they’re trying to shove this down our throats and it’s very frustrating. They are not treating us as partners at all in this, zero, zip, zilch as far as partnership. This is making a solid statement to them, that you’ve got to talk to us, there are so many issues. In the town of Dresden and the surrounding area, I’ve yet to find a single person that says yeah I think I’d even consider it… based on how they’ve come in and treated Dresden and the surrounding area and Chatham-Kent with disrespect, I don’t blame a single person for not supporting it.”
North Kent Councillor Jamie McGrail initially brought the item up on Monday, which led to a 15-slide presentation by Ryan Jacques, director of planning for the Municipality.
Jacques said the proposals submitted for the waste storage, transfer and processing project, located on Irish School Road just outside of Dresden, would increase the size of the landfill from 0.8 hectares to 25 hectares.
Jacques added the daily waste rate is being proposed to increase from 75 tonnes to 6,000 tonnes and they are requesting operations to be allowed around the clock, seven days a week.
After the presentation, Councillor McGrail entered a successful motion, which was unanimously supported by Council.
“The proposed facility is in close proximity to Dresden, and has the potential for serious impacts to Dresden, nearby properties, natural features, infrastructure and the environment,” McGrail said in her motion.
“Given the scale and nature of this proposal, the significant municipal concern for community, environment and infrastructure impacts, Chatham-Kent Council is opposed in principle to the application, and calls on the Province to reject the applications for a waste processing, storage and transfer and landfilling facility currently open for public comments.”
Also in her motion, McGrail said if the Province is not prepared to reject the application, “Chatham-Kent Council calls on the Minister to designate the project for a full (environmental assessment) process to remove any doubt that the EA study process is required for the application,” she said.
McGrail’s motion also requested that the Mayor write a letter to the Minster of Environment, Conservation and Parks outlining the community concerns and Council’s opposition to these proposals.
The motion also authorized and directed administration to retain technical experts that may be required to “advance concerns” through the Ministry consultation process.
Lastly, McGrail’s motion directed administration to make submissions to the Province by the March 16, 2024, deadline.
Council also voted unanimously to waive the notice period for McGrail’s motion.
“This is the will of Dresden and the Dresden area, no doubt,” McGrail said during her comments on Monday.
“Maybe it could’ve been different with some communication, but the will of Dresden, this is it.”
A community meeting was held earlier this month at The Wheelhouse in downtown Dresden, hosted by York1 Environmental Waste Solutions Ltd.
The Sydenham Current’s coverage from the meeting can be found, here.
More details about York1’s application are posted on the Province’s website, here: https://ero.ontario.ca/notice/019-8205
Anyone can submit online comments directly to the Province through this website by March 16, 2024.
York1 has organized a second community meeting as well, which is scheduled to take place this Friday, March 1, 2024.
The second meeting will have a 300-person capacity, with admission on a first-come, first served basis, and will be held at the Ken Houston Memorial Agricultural Centre, 1212 North Street, at 6 p.m.
We’ll provide more details when they become available.
