An upper Stoney Creek resident is asking the province to order Ontario’s Environmental Review Tribunal to hold a hearing on a proposal to extend the Taro industrial dump’s operating life by 10 to 15 years.
In a formal request, Wes Connor argues that owner Terrapure Environmental’s plan fails to adequately address the loss of five benefits promised by predecessor Newalta Corp. in 2013, when it got approval to increase the site’s 14.5-metre height by four metres.
In return, Newalta agreed to shrink the dump’s original 59-hectare footprint by 18 hectares and place clean industrial fill in the area by Green Mountain Road.
Terrapure now wants to raise the height another 2.5 metres and return to the original footprint, boosting the site’s capacity to 10.18 million cubic metres from the existing 6.5 million.
Connor’s submission accuses Terrapure of reneging on the 2013 benefits, which included increasing the buffer between waste and homes to the north, cutting the site’s leachate by a quarter and no longer perforating the dump’s liner by a key groundwater pump.
Residents at the time were also told waste would no longer need to be placed in a deeper section of the former quarry that could affect the liner’s performance, and that the smaller footprint offered more flexibility for post-closure uses.
Connor also maintains that the province’s recent tightening of regulations on the disposal of clean industrial fill now gives Terrapure “plenty of opportunity” to act on the unfulfilled promise to put the material in the area by Green Mountain Road.
The company has maintained there is no market for the clean waste.
Connor’s hearing request to Ontario Environment Minister Jeff Yurek calls the 2013 promised benefits an apparent “purposeful scam” to get approval for the height increase.
“I am embarrassed that we allowed the company to deceive the community,” he states. “I don’t know why the ministry would be willing to play along with this scam.”
Ministry spokesperson Gary Wheeler said Yurek has received one request for a hearing on the plan, but didn’t identify Connor as the source.
He said that the request is under review and will only be made public if Yurek orders a hearing.
The city is also opposing the expansion plan, but didn’t request a hearing by a July 12 deadline set following a favourable ministry review of Terrapure’s supporting environmental assessment.
“I’m not optimistic whatsoever,” Connor said of the prospects of a hearing. “I’d be shocked if I won at this point, unfortunately.”
Terrapure communications director Greg Jones said that the environmental assessment has satisfied the ministry and the company is unaware of any unresolved or new issues that could warrant a hearing.
“We did look at the elements noted in relation to the 2013 site reconfiguration as part of the EA and assessed whether the proposed undertaking would impact them, and determined that they would not,” he said.
“In addition, the ministry indicated in its review document that it is satisfied with how this issue was addressed.”
An upper Stoney Creek resident is asking the province to order Ontario’s Environmental Review Tribunal to hold a hearing on a proposal to extend the Taro industrial dump’s operating life by 10 to 15 years.
In a formal request, Wes Connor argues that owner Terrapure Environmental’s plan fails to adequately address the loss of five benefits promised by predecessor Newalta Corp. in 2013, when it got approval to increase the site’s 14.5-metre height by four metres.
In return, Newalta agreed to shrink the dump’s original 59-hectare footprint by 18 hectares and place clean industrial fill in the area by Green Mountain Road.
Terrapure now wants to raise the height another 2.5 metres and return to the original footprint, boosting the site’s capacity to 10.18 million cubic metres from the existing 6.5 million.
Connor’s submission accuses Terrapure of reneging on the 2013 benefits, which included increasing the buffer between waste and homes to the north, cutting the site’s leachate by a quarter and no longer perforating the dump’s liner by a key groundwater pump.
Residents at the time were also told waste would no longer need to be placed in a deeper section of the former quarry that could affect the liner’s performance, and that the smaller footprint offered more flexibility for post-closure uses.
Connor also maintains that the province’s recent tightening of regulations on the disposal of clean industrial fill now gives Terrapure “plenty of opportunity” to act on the unfulfilled promise to put the material in the area by Green Mountain Road.
The company has maintained there is no market for the clean waste.
Connor’s hearing request to Ontario Environment Minister Jeff Yurek calls the 2013 promised benefits an apparent “purposeful scam” to get approval for the height increase.
“I am embarrassed that we allowed the company to deceive the community,” he states. “I don’t know why the ministry would be willing to play along with this scam.”
Ministry spokesperson Gary Wheeler said Yurek has received one request for a hearing on the plan, but didn’t identify Connor as the source.
He said that the request is under review and will only be made public if Yurek orders a hearing.
The city is also opposing the expansion plan, but didn’t request a hearing by a July 12 deadline set following a favourable ministry review of Terrapure’s supporting environmental assessment.
“I’m not optimistic whatsoever,” Connor said of the prospects of a hearing. “I’d be shocked if I won at this point, unfortunately.”
Terrapure communications director Greg Jones said that the environmental assessment has satisfied the ministry and the company is unaware of any unresolved or new issues that could warrant a hearing.
“We did look at the elements noted in relation to the 2013 site reconfiguration as part of the EA and assessed whether the proposed undertaking would impact them, and determined that they would not,” he said.
“In addition, the ministry indicated in its review document that it is satisfied with how this issue was addressed.”
An upper Stoney Creek resident is asking the province to order Ontario’s Environmental Review Tribunal to hold a hearing on a proposal to extend the Taro industrial dump’s operating life by 10 to 15 years.
In a formal request, Wes Connor argues that owner Terrapure Environmental’s plan fails to adequately address the loss of five benefits promised by predecessor Newalta Corp. in 2013, when it got approval to increase the site’s 14.5-metre height by four metres.
In return, Newalta agreed to shrink the dump’s original 59-hectare footprint by 18 hectares and place clean industrial fill in the area by Green Mountain Road.
Terrapure now wants to raise the height another 2.5 metres and return to the original footprint, boosting the site’s capacity to 10.18 million cubic metres from the existing 6.5 million.
Connor’s submission accuses Terrapure of reneging on the 2013 benefits, which included increasing the buffer between waste and homes to the north, cutting the site’s leachate by a quarter and no longer perforating the dump’s liner by a key groundwater pump.
Residents at the time were also told waste would no longer need to be placed in a deeper section of the former quarry that could affect the liner’s performance, and that the smaller footprint offered more flexibility for post-closure uses.
Connor also maintains that the province’s recent tightening of regulations on the disposal of clean industrial fill now gives Terrapure “plenty of opportunity” to act on the unfulfilled promise to put the material in the area by Green Mountain Road.
The company has maintained there is no market for the clean waste.
Connor’s hearing request to Ontario Environment Minister Jeff Yurek calls the 2013 promised benefits an apparent “purposeful scam” to get approval for the height increase.
“I am embarrassed that we allowed the company to deceive the community,” he states. “I don’t know why the ministry would be willing to play along with this scam.”
Ministry spokesperson Gary Wheeler said Yurek has received one request for a hearing on the plan, but didn’t identify Connor as the source.
He said that the request is under review and will only be made public if Yurek orders a hearing.
The city is also opposing the expansion plan, but didn’t request a hearing by a July 12 deadline set following a favourable ministry review of Terrapure’s supporting environmental assessment.
“I’m not optimistic whatsoever,” Connor said of the prospects of a hearing. “I’d be shocked if I won at this point, unfortunately.”
Terrapure communications director Greg Jones said that the environmental assessment has satisfied the ministry and the company is unaware of any unresolved or new issues that could warrant a hearing.
“We did look at the elements noted in relation to the 2013 site reconfiguration as part of the EA and assessed whether the proposed undertaking would impact them, and determined that they would not,” he said.
“In addition, the ministry indicated in its review document that it is satisfied with how this issue was addressed.”