Frankly, I am more than just a little surprised how little I’ve read about this inevitability.
When the first Dump was opened in Carp the early 70’s, it was essentially for local use and it was in the middle of nowhere. And now present day; some forty years later, the new Dump (which will be beside the old one) happens to be in the middle of growing suburbia, and for the use of ALL of Ontario.
Look, we all know that garbage happens.
What is necessary is a well laid plan that is environmentally sound and economically viable.
The City of Ottawa’s performance in this area….frankly stinks.
Plasco and Orgaworld were both whiffs of legendary proportion, and yet here we are continuing to move forward without a viable 30 Year Plan.
Operating without a Plan continues to cost us money and will have a negative effect on some of our residents’ quality of life. It could also harm our environment, and it will devalue property.
I think we all know that landfill is not the answer. It’s the way of a bygone era. No one wants them except the companies that make a fortune operating them.
Yet, despite lingering complaints about the first Dump, the City of Ottawa is on the verge of adding two more Landfill sites. We already have four! By comparison; Toronto has none.
That’s not very green for a supposedly very green City.
In 2007 members of the community challenged an environmental approval at the landfill and negotiated a settlement agreement with Waste Management and the Ministry of the Environment. Part of the Settlement Agreement was Waste Management’s promise of transparency and an open communication with the Public. Thus the CLCLC (Carp Landfill Community Committee) was formed.
I personally tried to get involved in the process, yet was denied a position on the board of the CLCLC for what seem to be political reasons, and am the only applicant who continues to be kept on the outside looking in.
Despite that I made the effort to keep up on this topic. However, I quickly discovered it was impossible to follow. Minutes of meetings are painfully lacking, and posted on the CLCLC website often four months late. Who could follow this?
I believe the CLCLC has failed to keep us properly informed as was promised in the original settlement agreement.
Unfortunately, I also believe we can look forward to this same murky ‘transparency’ with the new PLC (Public Liaison Committee) which is the Community Advisory Board, for Carp Dump II.
By the way, these meetings ‘are closed’ to the public.
It is for this reason that I am happy to announce that W5CC (Ward Five Citizens’ Council) has added our name to a growing list of those who have endorsed “The Coalition for Landfill Accountability” (COLA).
There are now nine different community organizations in the mix in backing COLA.
Landfill is not the way of the future, but unfortunately, it seems to be the way of our City.
Sadly since it seems inevitable, our neighbors should be properly compensated in the Host Agreement which is currently being negotiated behind closed doors.
Moving forward; transparency is a must, and clearly our neighbours should all be entitled to live in an environment that is clean, safe and healthy.
Jonathan Mark
Dunrobin, Ontario
(Broadcaster, Chair for Ward 5 Citizens’ Council (W5CC) who ran for City Council in 2014)
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