Paul Leliveld doesn’t believe the Ministry of the Environment.
The Watford area man who lives across the road from Lasalle Agri’s biosolids storage facility at Highway 402 and Nauvoo Road was reacting to a letter sent to Warwick Township from the ministry. Mayor Jackie Rombouts had approached MOE staff about the growing pile of fertilizer made from human waste. Township officials are concerned about the environmental damage the runoff may be causing the smell coming from the pile which now almost reaches the roadway.
The MOE, in a letter to council, says ministry staff have inspected the site regularly and have confirmed there are no environmental impacts to surface water due to runoff.
Leliveld doesn’t believe it. He’s been concerned about the growing pile for over a year. When the municipality laid charges under the zoning bylaw, Leliveld expected the fertilizer would be cleaned up by November. Instead, the pile has more than doubled in size.
Leliveld, who bought his 80-acre property to enjoy the country life, now lives with the smell of the biosolids which can be so strong he sometimes becomes nauseous.
But there is another threat to Liliveld’s health – the transport traffic generated by the company. The exit into the site is almost directly across from the off-ramp. Liliveld says if you are driving north on Nauvoo Road, you can come over the overpass and find a transport stopped. It’s an accident waiting to happen and Liliveld says he’s had a couple of close calls.

Warwick officials have met with MTO officials to make them aware of the situation.

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