York1 Environmental Solutions has applied to scale back and environmentally improve its proposed landfill and waste transfer facility in Dresden.
One application to the Ministry of Environment states the modernized waste transfer and processing facility at at 29831 Irish School Road in Dresden would receive a daily maximum of up to 4,000 tonnes per day, down from 7,000 tonnes per day stated in the original plan in 2024.
It would receive and transfer solid non-hazardous waste and recyclable materials, such as construction and demolition waste, to recover recyclable materials and create alternative low carbon fuel; clean, non-treated wood waste that can be turned into mulch and other beneficially useable products; and waste soil containing debris, beneficial re-use soil, contaminated non-hazardous soils, and inert materials including concrete, asphalt, brick/block and rock for beneficial re-use as soil, aggregate replacement, or alternative raw materials.
The new plan also addresses environmental concerns. York1 proposes a stormwater management plan for the site to ensure that stormwater that comes into contact with waste or waste handling operations is properly collected and treated on-site before being allowed to enter the natural environment or it will be disposed of off-site at an appropriate water treatment facility.
It also proposes vehicles entering and leaving the site will follow a defined traffic route to prevent vehicles from driving through Dresden or exceeding load restricted routes in the spring. On-site staging at the facility would also ensure vehicles won't interfere with traffic.
The hours of operation for the facility would be reduced as well to 7 a.m. through 7 p.m. Monday through Saturday.
Dust, noise, and visual concerns will also be properly addressed, said York1, if the application is approved.
The other application shows the landfill's maximum receiving rate remains the same at 1,000 tonnes per day or 365,000 tonnes annually and the landfill would reach full capacity in 2035 if construction was completed in 2027.
It would accept disposal of non-hazardous solid waste, primarily construction and demolition waste from industrial, commercial, institutional, and municipal sectors, including excess soil that cannot be beneficially reused, but not household garbage or organics.
The modernized landfill would also have two stormwater management ponds and stormwater collection and conveyance ditches to ensure all storm water is fully treated and controlled to prior to leaving the site to prevent negative effects to the surface water or pose a flooding risk during storm events.
Several monitoring wells would be installed to monitor ground water for any changes in chemistry.
The landfill would also be lined with an engineered liner and equipped with a leachate collection system to ensure that leachate is properly collected and disposed of before it enters into the natural environment, said the company.
Access roads leading to the landfill would be periodically watered to minimize dust.
All of the above is pending approval from the Ministry of Environment.
The municipality says Chatham-Kent Council remains unanimously opposed to the York1 proposal, will continue to advocate on behalf of the Dresden community to raise its concerns with the province, and is fighting it in court.
