Concerned citizens oppose leachate plan at Richmond Landfill

Author of the article:

Meghan Balogh

Published Aug 29, 2025  •  Last updated 3 days ago  •  5 minute read

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NAPANEE — A group of concerned citizens that has been working to hold corporate giant Waste Management to account for decades is drawing attention to a new proposal for managing toxic runoff from its retired Richmond Landfill dump site in Napanee.

The retired dump site, owned by North America-wide company Waste Management, is located a handful of kilometres northwest of the town proper, near Tyendinaga Township and right at the headwaters of Marysville Creek, according to the Concerned Citizens Committee of Tyendinaga and Environs (CCCTE).

The CCCTE and the Canadian Environmental Law Association has jointly submitted a letter to the Ontario Ministry of the Environment, Conservation and Parks (MECP), dated Aug. 22, opposing a proposed hydraulic control system that would see leachate — contaminated groundwater that contains unsafe levels of chemicals such as 1,4 dioxane, a leachate indicator — from the decommissioned dump site pumped up from monitoring wells and placed into the property’s stormwater pond system.

Ian Munro is a member of the Concerned Citizens Committee of Tyendinaga and Environs (CCCTE), a group raising new concerns about the Richmond Landfill site in Greater Napanee. He’s pictured outside the landfill on Thursday, Aug. 28, 2025.

 Munro has been fighting for transparency and accountability at the Richmond Landfill site since the early 2000s. The CCCTE worked with experts to reveal contaminated wells on neighbouring properties, pushing to tighten monitoring of the leachate plume, whose spread has unhoused some of the landfill’s neighbours over the years.

Other local residents are being provided with alternative water supplies by Waste Management.

“It’s basically a question of justice,” Munro told the Whig-Standard on Wednesday, describing local residents who didn’t know that their wells had been contaminated and had gone about their lives, drinking, bathing and cooking with water from their wells.

“I want to see this through,” he said. “I want to see this landfill forever closed. I don’t want to see another one here.”

But the letter cautioning against the proposed hydraulic control system to deal with contaminated groundwater is just one more cog in the wheel that is the ongoing fight against a proposed expansion at the old dump site.

“The Beechwood Road Environmental Centre is still on the table,” Munro marvelled to the Whig, expressing disbelief.

An MECP-approved terms of reference document for the proposed Beechwood Road Environmental Centre project at the property still exists and could be taken up at any time, Munro said.

That fact feels extra surreal to Munro in the face of the 2015 Environmental Review Tribunal ruling that ordered Waste Management to improve its environmental monitoring plan for the site, after the CCCTE and its lawyer and hydrogeologist testified during weeks’ worth of hearings.

In January 2016, the Belleville Intelligencer reported that the “ERT found the landfill is contaminating groundwater beyond the boundary of the landfill and private, domestic wells have been contaminated.”

The ERT also found that contingency action was needed to bring the landfill site into compliance with regulatory requirements.

“To me it’s kind of ludicrous that they still have this possibility that could start tomorrow — environmental assessments, public meetings and presentations, engineering studies,” Munro said. “The process would probably take five to 10 years, but they could start it any time.”

The site’s track record alone is reason not to dump leachate above ground, the CCCTE and Munro argue.

 “Given this background, experience, and public interest perspective, the CCCTE has carefully reviewed the modified HCS proposal and the supporting documentation recently provided by the Ministry,” the letter to the MECP states. “This ongoing review has identified numerous data gaps, questionable methodology, and unsubstantiated conclusions in the January 2022 ECA application and the August 13, 2025 ‘design’ documentation filed by the proponent.”

The CCCTE has worked with hydrogeologist Wilf Ruland through its fight with Waste Management, and Ruland has produced data over the years to demonstrate what works — and what doesn’t — for safely dissipating contaminated water, above and below ground.

A report produced by Ruland in 2022 provided several reasons why the hydraulic control system should not be approved, including a lack of consideration that the leachate effluent quality “will gradually worsen over time as the purse wells continuously pump groundwater to the stormwater pond,” the letter states.

“This is because the wells will serve as a new low point in the local groundwater flow system, which will induce inward flow of leachate contaminants toward the HCS and create the risk of upward hydraulic gradients that facilitate the upwelling of saline/briny water from deeper groundwater,” the letter states.

The potential upsetting of local groundwater quality by continuously drawing to the surface at these wells is worrying, Munro said.

“(The local groundwater) is good potable groundwater down to about 30 metres underground,” Munro explained, excluding the contaminated area around the dump. “Below that is saline — if they start pumping continuously 24 hours a day, seven days a week, 365 days a year from these wells, what could happen is that the saline, which is much denser, could start to rise up. Saline is absolutely toxic. If you put that on a farmer’s field it will die. It could ruin the aquifer. This is something we’re concerned about.”

In a comment provided to the Whig-Standard on Wednesday, a representative from Waste Management said that the Richmond Landfill is closed and “remains in good standing with the Ministry of the Environment, Conservation and Parks (MECP).”

“WM fully complies with all applicable environmental regulations and permit requirements, and the site is regularly monitored to ensure ongoing compliance,” the statement read. “We are confident that our systems and oversight measures are protective of community health and the environment, and we will continue to work closely with regulators to ensure the site is managed responsibly.”

Munro and others are skeptical, and while the conversation currently centres around the proposed new leachate management system, the looming proposed BREC project remains on people’s minds.

“Every time we catch them doing something wrong is more evidence they should not be trusted with an even bigger dump on this site,” he said. “This huge long history is very damning for Waste Management, and we’re reminding the public what’s gone down. It’s a ludicrous concept.”

mbalogh@postmedia.com

Richmond Landfill’s contamination problem resurfaced in the town of Napanee at this week’s council meeting on Tuesday, May 23, 2023.

Kingstonist

Ian Munro, a long-time member of the Concerned Citizens Committee of Tyendinaga and Environs (CCCTE), made a deputation at the meeting to update Council on the state of the landfill site on Beechwood Road.

Munro made Council aware of an attempt by Waste Management Inc. (WM) to bring the closed landfill into compliance with Ontario laws and regulations. WM has submitted three applications to the Ministry of the Environment, Conservation and Parks (MECP) for approval, said Munro. He wanted Council to understand that, in the expert opinion of the CCCTE’s hydrogeologist, the proposals are “not adequate to protect human health and the local environment” from being exposed to noxious chemicals.

Munro stated that the decisions on these applications are expected to be issued in the coming weeks, and the Town of Greater Napanee Council should be aware of the implications.

There are two main conclusions for Napanee, stated Munro. “First, this landfill should never have been located at this location given the complex groundwater environment, and there should never be an expansion of this facility. Second, the currently proposed ‘solutions’ to the off-site groundwater contamination are untested and potentially very dangerous.”

At the outset of his deputation, Munro said, “I know I have a 10-minute limit [to speak], and I’m happy to live within that. But please understand that what I’m giving you tonight is a ‘Coles’ Notes’ version. There are plenty of resources out there for you to learn more.”

Munro then set the scene by going over the history of the Richmond Landfill site, explaining that the landfill was started in 1950, was expanded dramatically in the 1980s, and was immediately sold to a corporate waste company. Then it was sold in the 1990s to WM, which sought to undertake a massive expansion of the dump.

“That particular proposal was rejected in 2006 because the site was not safe,” Munro explained. “It took the MECP six more years after that to order the landfill to be closed… and it took until 2012 to get it closed.”

In 2012, CCCTE, the Mohawks of the Bay of Quinte, and Napanee Green Lights challenged MECP and WM at an environmental review tribunal to ensure safe long-term monitoring. “This process proved the landfill was contaminating the groundwater, despite years of denials by Waste Management,” noted Munro. Due to the tribunal decision, WM is required to “delineate” the extent of “leachate contamination” and bring the site into compliance with Ontario laws and regulations.

An image from Munro’s presentation to Council shows the landfill site as a grey rectangle at the top of this map. The red area on the map represents the current plume of leachate contaminating the groundwater. Screen captured image.

Munro reported that, in 2022, MECP declared the contamination plume to be “reasonably delineated” — in his opinion, “a very strange selection of words.” The CCCTE does not agree with that conclusion, mostly due to issues related to the privately owned property located to the east of the landfill, he said. “Very little testing is being carried out on that property due to a lack of agreement between Waste Management and [landowners] the Martins… so that’s the basis of our concerns about the delineation.”

Munro presented maps to illustrate the group’s concern. “Waste Management, a year ago, submitted applications to get approval for their latest environmental monitoring plan, the Contaminant Attenuation Zone [represented on the map by a dotted line], and a controversial purge well system to manage the contamination onto the neighbouring Martin property. And, perhaps most controversial of all, they’re seeking approval to pump that contaminated water from the ground and deposit it onto the surface, in the stormwater control ponds, south of the landfill.”

Monro emphasized that “as far as I know, and as far as our expert hydrogeologist knows, this is the first time such a proposal has been considered by Ontario. It’s a very strange approach.”

According to Munro, the proposed hydraulic control system poses major risks. First, he said, there is no guarantee that it will work as Waste Management expects, due to very limited testing. “There’s no evidence yet that it could even work. It has been used in other environments where it’s not a fractured limestone base, with success. But this [landfill site’s fractured limestone base] is a completely different environment.”

An image from Munro’s presentation showed the proposed purge well system. Screen captured image.

Second, he said, it could actually make the situation much worse by causing deep saline water to upwell, drawing contaminated water from further underneath the landfill and bringing it to the surface, thereby increasing groundwater contamination.

Third, pumping contaminated groundwater onto the surface and allowing it to flow into the Beechwood ditch poses danger to those downstream, as it flows into Marysville Creek. Munro called this the “most gobsmacking proposal: [to] take this contaminated water and basically dump it into the creek, indirectly.”

Munro said the CCCTE met with MECP on April 11, 2023, and were advised that approval of these applications is expected by the end of May 2023. “Based on what we know at this point, these applications do not address the significant concerns of our hydrogeologist. There is a potentially serious threat to human health and the environment posed by these proposals. [But] in spite of that, MECP appears to be on the verge of approving these applications.”

Munro surmised that in the best-case scenario, the proposal will lower the exposure to the single property to the east of the landfill, but increase the exposure to many properties to the west and downstream on Callaghan Road and including Tyendinaga Township and Mohawks of the Bay of Quinte.

“In the worst case scenario,” he reiterated, “it will make matters much worse by drawing highly dangerous saline to the surface and spreading it around.”

He left Council with options he said they should consider. The first was to confirm the Town of Greater Napanee’s earlier resolutions declaring Napanee to be an unwilling host for any expanded landfill at this site. Also, assuming the WM applications are in fact approved, the Town could appeal to the Ontario Land Tribunal within 15 days, or partner with concerned citizens and neighbouring communities (Tyendinaga Township and Mohawks of the Bay of Quinte) to file a combined appeal.

After councillors had a chance to clarify their understanding of the presentation, Mayor Terry Richardson thanked Munro, admitting that the landfill situation may have slipped out of the current Council’s sphere of awareness. “I know that most of us weren’t around when this whole process started with Waste Management. So for most of us, even in the last term of Council, we didn’t really experience a lot of it,” he said.

As always, you can read full Council meeting agendas on Napanee’s civic web online, and watch meetings live or recorded on the town’s YouTube channel.

Fighting Dirty tells the story of how one small group of farmers, small-town residents, and Indigenous people fought the world’s largest waste disposal company to stop them from expanding a local dumpsite into a massive land fill. As one of the experts brought in to assess the impact the toxic waste would have on the community, Poh-Gek Forkert was part of the adventures and misadventures of their decades-long fight.

“Fighting Dirty is an inspiring read for all activists battling against the money and power of corporations. It shows that when a small group of determined, committed citizens don’t give up, leaders and unexpected opportunities will emerge. When the cause is just, good people can win.” —David Suzuki, internationally-renowned environmentalist.

“Fighting Dirty is a primer for citizens’ groups battling against powerful corporations attempting to override sensible environmental planning. But more than that it tells the story of a community of rural agricultural and Indigenous peoples pulled together by a need to protect the land they love. It’s well worth the read.” —Gord Miller, ecologist, former Environmental Commissioner of Ontario

“There is nothing as divisive or as exhausting for a rural community as having to fight a corporate waste giant. The story of how a leaking local dump was purchased by the largest waste corporation in the world and then promoted as a mega-landfill for Ontario makes for chilling reading. Fighting Dirty is essential for anyone interested in issues of environmental justice, public process, and the power of grassroots citizen activism.” —Charlie Angus, author of Unlikely Radicals: The Story of the Adams Mine Dump War

https://www.ola.org/en/visit-learn/programs/speakers-book-award/speakers-book-award-2019-shortlist

In preparation for the upcoming Provincial Elections and in collaboration with  Chief R. Donald Maracle of the Mohawks of the Bay of Quinte we asked our local candidates to respond to a questionnaire about the Richmond Landfill.  We are pleased to report that candidates from all parties expressed their support for prohibiting a new or expanded landfill on the site of the Richmond Landfill. They also committed to work toward passing legislation to site mega-landfills on the safest and most suitable locations. To read our letter and their responses click this link: Provincial Candidates Statements

The Concerned Citizensare still fundraising

until the threat of a mega landfill

in Greater Napanee is over.

Please help us reach our goal

by donating items to an auction

to be held this summer.

We accept:

Furniture, china, glass, “collectibles,”

newer flat-screen TVs and working

laptops – all in good condition.

We cannot accept:

Large appliances, mattresses

and old computers.

Deadline for collection is June 15^th.

Please contact Marilyn Kendall at mkendall321@yahoo.ca

or 613-354-1828 to arrange

for pick-up or delivery.

First Prize: $2,000 travel voucher – Kristina Smith, Stirling, ON

Second Prize: $250 Via Rail travel card – Fred Whalen, Shannonville, ON

Third Prize: $250 Via Rail travel card – Jon Willans, Belle River, ON

A Garden Party, Book Launch and Fundraiser
By Jeff Whan

It was one of those magical fall days when the air is crisp and clear, the sun is warm, and the colours provide the backdrop. We were gathered at the glorious SpindleTree Gardens in the Orangery to celebrate the arrival of a new book: Fighting Dirty – How a Small Community Took On Big Trash.

Poh-Gek Forkert’s book chronicles an incredible adventure of bad guys (Waste Management) vs. good guys (our community), massive resources vs. massive resourcefulness, greed vs. science, the failures of our provincial and municipal governments and the importance of vigilance. It shows what can be done against the odds when people care deeply and work like crazy as a team.

Our venue was donated by Tom Brown and Susie Meisner. Immaculately groomed, the gardens and buildings at SpindleTree were a perfect setting for the festivities. One hundred and twenty people gathered. Old hands and new arrived with a common spirit and deep caring about the future of our community and the environment. It was an amazing experience.

The dump-fighting team transformed themselves that day and the weeks preceding it into party organizers, auctioneers, book sellers, cooks, servers, bartenders, party hosts, accountants, video producers, ticket sellers, and party participants.

Delectable hors d’oeuvres, made from natural local ingredients and prepared under the direction of volunteer chef Colette Drisdale, included Maple Glazed Pickerel with Acadian Sturgeon Caviar Mousse and Red Wine Poached Pear with Highland Blue Cream. Also enjoyed were local wine, cider and beer and a cheese table featuring savoury breads by Janet Whan and cheese donated by local artisans. The beer was donated and served by the McKinnon Brothers.

Evocative and ethereal music was provided by renowned Mohawk musician David Maracle. Introduced by the inspirational Mike Bossio, Poh-Gek read from her book. She described an early meeting of the Concerned Citizens, at which David’s father told this story: “He emphasized everyone’s obligation to leave as few footprints as possible on the land, and he described a Mohawk family out for a walk on a snowy day. The father walked in front and the mother walked behind, placing her feet in his footsteps in the snow. The children followed, placing their feet in the footprints left by the father and mother. He ended by saying that soon he would be walking with the greatest man who ever walked the earth.”

Andrew Maracle collapsed at the meeting that night and was pronounced dead soon after at the Belleville hospital. This story, as read by Poh-Gek, struck an emotional chord that was reinforced when David played a beautiful song in tribute to his father. David’s wonderful music was highly appropriate because the dump fight has been conducted arm in arm with Chief Maracle and the Mohawks of the Bay of Quinte, who live downstream from the dump. Many people living on Mohawk territory and near the dump rely on wells for their drinking water and their farm animals. They do not have the option of moving away from the pollution caused by the dump.

The afternoon featured a silent auction. Many businesses and individuals generously donated items which were assembled by the auction team of Barb Linds and Marilyn Carey. We had art from Chris Broadhurst and Kylie Sandford, ceramics from Harlan House, lunch and wine tasting from Norman Hardie, jewelry from Starlet, Sens hockey tickets and many more treasures. With admission, donations and proceeds from the silent auction, more than $14,000 was raised to pay the costs of retaining the excellent scientific team that have provided the winning arguments so key to our success.

Most of us care deeply about our legacy. We want to do more about the environment, but struggle to find a way to make a real difference. That day, our community gathered to make a difference. It was an emotional moment in time; the warriors had returned from battle to graciously accept the thanks from everyone. But the war isn’t over.

Meanwhile back at the dump: It is leaking and Waste Management and their consultants cannot determine where the toxins are going. We do know that it is leaking off Waste Management property, putting the company in violation of their Environmental Compliance Certificate. Since the off-site contamination was confirmed years ago Waste Management and the Ministry of the Environment and Climate Change have been unsuccessfully attempting to define its limits.

In the context of the mess we now have at the closed dump, it seems preposterous that there is a proposal on the books to expand the site to be large enough to take most of Toronto’s garbage. This proposal is still pending. Waste Management will not withdraw it. The MOE will not revoke the Terms of Reference that describe it. The Minister of the Environment recently refused a joint request by Tyendinaga and Greater Napanee to meet with him to discuss it. The war is not yet over.

In summary we would like to thank everyone, volunteers, donors, and attendees, who made this day so awesome. We wish our battle was over but it is not. We cannot and must not ever give up this fight.