To the Editor
Last week the Greater Napanee Council passed an important resolution concerning the Beechwood Road Environmental Centre (BREC) mega landfill proposal. Readers will remember the BREC proposal is the second attempt to massively expand the (now closed) Richmond landfill – the first attempt was rejected in November of 2006 for environmental reasons.

The resolution noted the significant and long-standing difficulties associated with the monitoring of the closed Richmond landfill. These difficulties persist despite years of work and repeated assurances that there is “no risk to human health or the environment.” In fact, after over four years of intense focus on this problem initiated by the Concerned Citizens and others via an appeal through Ontario’s Environmental Review Tribunal, the extent of the existing contamination has still not been completely identified and an adequate on-going monitoring process has not been established.

Council recognized that these issues are so serious that the proposal to establish an even larger landfill on this property poses an unacceptable risk to the community. It has therefore asked the site’s owner to withdraw its BREC mega landfill proposal and the Ministry of the Environment and Climate Change (MOECC) to take the steps necessary to end the impending Environmental Assessment process that has been looming over this town for four years.

The resolution by Council is appropriate given the site’s history, and the actions requested of Waste Management and the MOECC are “the right thing to do.” We should all hope that these steps are taken immediately and that the threat to Greater Napanee and its immediate neighbours is removed once and for all.

Ian Munro
Greater Napanee

Tags: Beechwood Road Environmental Centre, BREC, Concerned Citizens, Dump, Environment, Greater Napanee, Napanee, Richmond Landfill, Waste Management, Waste Management Corporation,  Town of Greater Napanee