Township seeks way to stop fill

Concerns raised in a Scugog Standard story last week have municicpal and provincial officials looking into landfill practices at a Scugog property.

Township staff are looking into whether or not operations at a clean fill site along Lakeridge Rd. can be stopped, after consideration that the permit may have been “issued in error” in contradiction of environmental regulations, according to planning and public works commissioner Gene Chartier.

The decision came after discussion and the passing of a new fill and site alteration bylaw at this week’s council meeting, following discussion regarding similar sites around the township. At recent meetings, staff and council have attributed the current increase of such fill sites to both a weak Scugog bylaw and the tightening up of fill rules in neighbouring municipalities.

According to Mr. Chartier, the township may have erred by issuing a permit to an operation located within the borders of the Oak Ridges Moraine, which is subject to stringent environmental regulations. Mr. Chartier said that a legal opinion is now being sought by the township before taking any steps toward revoking the permit, adding that if the opinion is “cut and dry,” the township will likely “act on the bylaw’s provision.” The site is governed under the provisions of the township’s old fill bylaw and subject to any penalties contained within.

The new bylaw will now feature a ‘blanket restriction’ on fill dumps within the Oak Ridges Moraine, with a handful of exceptions, including site alteration directly related to building permits issued by the township or for purposes such as agriculture.

Concerns about the quality of fill being dumped at the Lakeridge Rd. site arose after residents alleged that questionable items were amongst the truckloads of fill being deposited there.

According to Ministry of the Environment (MOE) spokesperson Kate Jordan, an inspector was sent to the site last week to conduct an investigation of the fill content after receiving a complaint from the township, but found no evidence of chemical contamination or other material not permitted in clean fill.

However, photos obtained by The Scugog Standard, allegedly taken of the site last weekend, show items such as PVC piping, cinder blocks, crushed chemical drums and plastic chemical pails clearly sticking out of the piles of fill allegedly on the property.

The site discussed, located along Lakeridge Rd. south of Regional Rd. 21, is maintained by Earthworx Industries, which advertises the property as a ‘clean fill dump site’ with a heliport. To date, no stop order has been issued and no illegal or improper fill has been confirmed by the MOE at the site.

Link: Township seeks way to stop fill