C-K staff say detailed info sharing never occurred with York1; company disagrees
By Pam Wright
Local Journalism Initiative Reporter
Concrete plans by York1 to expand the landfill and build a regenerative recycling facility north of Dresden have never been disclosed to the Municipality of Chatham-Kent.
That’s the word from C-K general manager of community development Bruce McAllister.
At the March 4 council meeting, McAllister was asked a number of questions regarding plans by the Mississauga-based company that have brought the residents of Dresden to boiling point.
Following queries from North Kent Coun. Rhonda Jubenville, McAllister said there were “a couple of high-level” discussions with York1 around the time the company purchased the property in 2022. However, despite an ask from the municipality about the plan, there was no follow-up, McAllister explained, noting Chatham-Kent only became aware of the “full scope” of the Dresden project when the applications were posted on the Environmental Registry of Ontario in late January.
“I think it’s important to note that the municipality regularly takes calls and inquiries from potential investors,” he told council, adding the first step is generally to arrange an initial meeting and gather information and “frankly to listen.”
Following that, McAllister said, C-K asked York1 “on a couple of occasions” to provide information regarding the overall scope of the plan, what was needed in terms of provincial approvals and its public consultation process.
“I can say that none of these additional details were ever received in advance of receiving the initial ministry posting notice that was received a couple of weeks ago,” McAllister affirmed.
“I do want to highlight, to date, there’s not been a formal planning pre-consultation with staff and no planning applications have been filed yet with the municipality,” he said, adding York1 has never come before council.
However, what the company is saying differs with McAllister’s comments. At a public information forum Mar. 1 at which hundreds of residents attended, company officials said York1 has had “numerous” interactions with municipal leadership about expansion plans at Dresden.
York1 currently has two applications before the province to amend existing permits. The first asks for permission for a regenerative recycling facility able to accept a maximum of 6,000 tonnes of non-hazardous waste per day, including soil and construction and demolition waste. The application asks the facility be permitted to run around the clock, seven days a week.
The second application asks the government to amend the existing landfill permit to allow an eight-hectare landfill that can accept 365,000 tonnes of waste per year.
Estimates of daily truck traffic to the site ranges from 150 to 700 trucks per day.
Following a unanimous decision by council Feb. 26 asking the Ministry of Environment, Conservation and Parks (MOECP) to reject the proposal, Mayor Darrin Canniff sent a letter to Minister Andrea Khanjin. The letter asks that if the MOECP approves the project, a full environmental assessment be conducted to determine potential impacts, to be completed before a final decision is made.
McAllister said an outside consultant has been brought in and the municipality is currently preparing submissions to the province in opposition to the York1 applications.
Comment on the first closes March 16. The deadline for comment on the landfill expansion – posted only a week ago – is due April 11.
McAllister said a media release will follow C-K’s first submission and a report will come back to council following the second submission.
Both Jubenville and fellow North Kent Coun. Jamie McGrail said they are grateful for the mayor’s letter. Jubenville added that she wanted to dispel “rumours or misinformation” currently circulating in the community regarding a lack of transparency.
McGrail stressed the public needs to make their concerns known and can do so by providing comment online.
“We all need to make sure that we’re heard by the province,” she said.
The information is also posted on Chatham-Kent’s municipal website.
A public meeting on the matter may be held in the future, McAllister said, and several councillors agreed.
Chatham Coun. Alysson Storey, who attended the March 1 public meeting, said the “level of frustration in the room was exceedingly high.
“After seeing what happened Friday, these folks deserve answers,” Storey concluded.
