ERB ST. LANDFILL STILL A STINKER

Let's not forget of course the damage to local groundwater. Down gradient wells have been impacted and certainly it's hard to believe that the Regional wells near St. Agatha haven't been impacted as well. There has been a Liaison Committee for about twenty-five years and I attended a few of the early meetings. To my disappointment the focus was on blowing garbage and of course smells. Groundwater didn't seem to be on the radar despite the sometimes presence of hydrogeologist Wilf Ruland.

The August 2, 2017 Waterloo Region Record carried the following story titled "When the landfill smells, it may be the weather". Well generally speaking "weather" on its' own doesn't smell. However very still days may result in the inherent landfill odours not being diluted or blown away. Then the stink can definitely sit and hang around the local area.

Other more likely culprits are the plain volume of garbage going into the landfill each day. While it is covered with soil each evening obviously it is open and exposed to the air during the day. Hope was expressed that as garbage volumes lower through recycling and composting that odours will also lessen.

The other cause of odours is landfill gas which includes methane. We are advised in this article that "Odours are mainly controlled through a gas collection system that converts the gas to electricity.". Clearly there will be electricity ( & methane) produced by the Erb St. Landfill for decades after the Landfill is eventually closed.