Proposed Waste Disposal Site in Dresden Subject to Comprehensive Environmental Assessment

In response to concerns voiced by both Municipal officials and residents of Chatham-Kent, the Lieutenant Governor in Council has decided to designate the proposed waste disposal site project as a Part II.3 project under the Environmental Assessment Act (Act), making it subject to comprehensive environmental assessment requirements.

As part of the ruling, York1 Environmental Waste Solutions Ltd. is now required to complete a comprehensive environmental assessment process for the proposed project before it can be implemented. The comprehensive environmental assessment process is the highest level of environmental assessment in Ontario.

The process requires the assessment of potential environmental impacts and public consultation, and the project cannot be implemented unless the Minister of the Environment, Conservation and Parks makes a decision, with the approval of the Lieutenant Governor in Council, to give approval under the Act to proceed with the project.

“The ruling by the Lieutenant Governor regarding the proposed landfill in Dresden is excellent news for Dresden and for all of Chatham-Kent,” said Mayor Darrin Canniff. “The response from the community of Dresden has been nothing short of inspiring. They have presented a unified voice through petitions, signs, submissions, and deputations to Municipal Council. The comprehensive environmental assessment process that is now required is a direct result of a community that has come together to speak up for what they believe in.”

A copy of the regulation can be accessed at: https://www.ontario.ca/laws/regulation/r24284  

A copy of the letter from Kathleen O’Neil, Director of the Environmental Assessment Branch of the Ministry of the Environment, Conservation and Parks can be found here: https://www.letstalkchatham-kent.ca/42320/widgets/176727/documents/134005

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