Heather Wright/The Independent

Dawn-Euphemia politicians want the Ministry of Environment to “suspend any further action” on a request to bring hundreds of trucks of construction waste and soil to a dormant dump near the Lambton border.

Mayor Al Broad and officials from Lambton County are calling for York1 Environmental to sit down with them and explain exactly what they want to do with the Dresden dump.

The company has filed three proposals under the Environmental Compliance Approval process; one asking to reopen the dormant landfill, one to bring in up to 6,000 tonnes of construction waste and soil, and another to build on-site ditches and storm water management ponds to deal with the sewage created by the planned operation.

But Broad says his municipality – a potential route for up to 700 trucks daily coming to the Regenerative Recycling Facility – has not seen the detailed documents outlining exactly what the Mississauga-based company plans.

The township has been working from the brief proposal listed on the Environmental Registry of Ontario. York1 was only required to provide notice to the host municipality – Chatham-Kent.

“I think we need to oppose what they’re doing,” said Broad during Monday’s council meeting. “The biggest problem…is the total lack of information. The public deserves a lot more information than that organization has provided now,” says Broad adding the ministry should “suspend any further action until more information is available.”

Township council also believes a traffic study should be completed to see how the truck traffic will impact local roads. “I just can’t believe they would approve a process that involves 700 trucks a day without a traffic study,” said Broad.

York1 officials have said they are in the midst of a traffic study, however its not a requirement under the Environmental Compliance Approval process.

Dawn-Euphemia is not alone in its concerns. Jason Cole, the general manager of infrastructure for the County of Lambton sent York1 Environmental Waste Solutions a letter last week which says: “The County of Lambton and associated local municipal boundary, is less than two kilometres from the proposed project site. Due to the potential for this project to directly impact core infrastructure, drainage, businesses and residential interests associated with our respective municipalities, we request the opportunity for a dedicated meeting in order to discuss the ECA application, scope of the project, details of the proposed operation and municipal and public communication through the application process.” Broad hopes Dawn-Euphemia can be involved in that discussion.

But the township is not relying solely on a face-to-face meeting to voice its objections. It will submit a letter about the proposal, voicing concerns about the lack of information and the potential for a large increase in traffic. And the mayor suggests residents do the same.

The public comment period for the sewage Environmental Compliance Approval has already closed. Comments on the waste recycling center will be accepted until March 16 and on the expansion of the landfill until April 11.