Lasalle Agri wants to store its biosolid fertilizer across from Watford’s cemetery.
The move came to light as the company filed a complaint against Warwick to the Normal Farm Practices Protection Board earlier this spring. It’s one of three appeals the company has filed. Both Brooke-Alvinston and Dawn-Euphemia, who have tried to stop the company from piling the often pungent fertilizer in one spot, are also facing appeals.
All three communities have used zoning bylaws to prevent farmers from storing more fertilizer than needed for the field in one spot.
Warwick has successfully charged Lasalle Agri. The company moved a massive pile of the fertilizer made from human waste at the end of 2019 after going to court.
Now, in documents filed with the NFPPB, the company says it wants to store biosolid fertilizer next to the Catholic cemetery on Nauvoo Road.
Warwick CAO Amanda Gubbels noted in a report to council the township doesn’t have an option to lay charges because Lasalle isn’t storing anything there now. And she says the property is “in a prime location” into Watford.
Mayor Jackie Rombouts was surprised to get the appeal to the board saying Lasalle Agri owners David and Roger Buurma have never come to council on this request or any other.
Rombouts says the township is not stopping any farmer from normal farm practices, adding the normal practice is to use a nutrient management plan to spread manures. “He has stated he doesn’t have to do that because this product is a fertilizer.” It is not clear when a hearing on the issue will be.