In response to the first Environmental Review Tribunal (ERT) hearing on June 25, 2012 and the public information session held by Waste Management on June 27, 2012, Concerned Citizen Jeff Whan wrote the following letter to the Napanee Beaver.

To the Editor:

Last week the first in what will be a series of public hearings that took place in Selby. These formal legal hearings are part of Ontario’s Environmental Review Tribunal (ERT). The Concerned Citizens are challenging the adequacy of the Environmental Monitoring Plan at the closed Richmond Landfill, site of the proposed BREC mega-dump.

We are indeed fortunate to have such a process which has allowed citizens to challenge the agreements made between their government (the MOE) and big business (Waste Management).

Based on the comments made by all parties at this first hearing there are discussions taking place. These might lead to the MOE and Waste Management accepting many of the recommendations made by the citizens, which had previously been ignored.

At their public information session on Wednesday June 27, Waste Management acknowledged that there are indications that the Richmond Landfill is leaking toxic leachate beyond the footprint of the dump and close to or beyond Beechwood Road.  They could not or would not offer contingency plans to contain leaks in the fractured bedrock environment. This is one of the issues that the citizens are challenging at the ERT.

The schedule for the ERT hearings would conclude in late January or early February. In the meantime there appears to be no sense of urgency on the part of the company or the Ministry of the Environment to contain the leaks.

Jeff Whan

Roblin, ON

Tags: Environmental Review Tribunal, Landfill Contingency Plans, Leaking Leachate, Napanee Dump, Richmond Landfill, Waste Management Inc