Waste site proposal meets opposition in Cumberland ward
Posted Jul 22, 2010 By Charelle Evelyn
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EMC News - A city by-law review has bought the concerned neighbours of 
Charelle Evelyn, Orleans EMC
Concerned residents view a map of the proposed waste transfer site at a meeting in the Bearbrook Community Hall July 14. About 200 people came out to discuss their opposition to the application.
a potential waste facility some time to organize.
During last week's city council meeting, Cumberland Coun. Rob Jellett successfully introduced the rarely used Interim Control By-Law to freeze the use of the land until next year.
The by-law is used when the city wishes to undertake a review or study of its land use policies related to a specific area, according to the City of Ottawa website.
In this case, the issue in question is the zoning of 5001 Herbert Dr. in Navan.
The current landowner, Carl's Sanitation Services, has filed an application with the Ministry of Environment to build a waste transfer station that could receive, store and transfer up to 800 tonnes of residential, industrial and commercial waste.
Under the current zoning, designated as rural heavy industrial (RH), a waste processing and transfer facility is permitted.
However, residents and area politicians said they do not believe that such a facility is appropriate in a residential area.
"It's not in the right location," Coun. Jellet said, adding that something like the proposed facility belongs in an industrial park or an already approved landfill site.
"I'm hoping the province will say 'No' to the application."
He said he brought the by-law review to the table because when the city underwent a comprehensive zoning by-law consolidation in 2008, the pre-amalgamation zoning was changed to allow more uses.
With the interim by-law in place, even if the property owner receives approval from the province, they are unable to move forward with construction until at least March 15, 2011.
Despite this being a provincial issue, Coun. Jellett added his voice to that of the residents to petition the environment minister for an extension on the comment period. He said that he only heard about the project on June 22, almost halfway into the initial 30-day comment period.
The comment period has since been extended from July 9 to Sept. 7.
Greg Fedor and his wife live half a kilometre north of the site, and said they only heard about the application from a neighbour around the same time as Coun. Jellett.
Mr. Fedor said that he was more concerned about potential health risks posed by a waste transfer facility than any adverse effects on his property values.
"We moved out here to retire," he said.
"Now we're looking at the possibility of contaminated water."
One of the concerns about the facility is that if something were to spill, it could make its way into the groundwater and pollute the nearby Vars-Winchester esker. The esker provides 15,000 with drinking water.
Mr. Fedor was one of about 200 people who attended a public meeting organized by residents to discuss the application July 14. A meeting the previous week drew 100 people.
"I'm so blessed to be part of a community like this," said Kristin Mackey, the meeting's moderator, after the majority of attendees indicated that they had other commitments they could have been tending to that night.
Although there were no representatives from Carl's present to answer their questions, visitors from other communities came forward to share their experiences with local waste sites.
"This is really déjà vu," said Jim Petrie, chairperson of Friends of the Mer Bleue (FOMB), which experienced the addition of a recycling and transfer facility added to the Navan Rd. landfill.
"Things turn out not to be exactly as advertised," Mr. Petrie said, noting that following the closure of another disposal site, waste began to pile up at the transfer facility.
"I can see the future here and it scare me a lot," said Ms. Mackey.
Paul Kehoe, a supervisor within the Ministry of the Environment said that at this stage of the process, it's likely that engineers haven't yet looked at the application. He encouraged residents to organize and get their comments in to ensure they have a say on the conditions for the certificate of approval.
"What you're doing is the right thing," Mr. Kehoe told them.
Jean-Marc Lalonde, MPP for Glengarry-Prescott-Russell, intends to hold a public meeting next month with representatives from the ministry as well as Carl's Sanitation.
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