REGION OF WATERLOO'S ERB ST. LANDFILL

Today's Waterloo Region Record carries a story titled "Region's only landfill has more life left in it". Overall it is a good news story in that Waterloo Region citizens have dramatically reduced their garbage output over the last several years with greater use of compost (green bin) and recyclables (blue bin). Hence projections of when the Erb St. landfill will be full have been pushed back five or ten years longer. In fact it is expected now not to be full for another 25 to 30 years. .................................................................................................................... For the vast majority of citizens who don't live near the landfill or even near St. Agatha that is all good news. However spare a moment to think about both the very long term residents who have had homes beside the landfill since the 1960s or 70s. Also think about the expanding residential subdivisions along Erb St. near the landfill. Some of the older residents have been involved with a landfill liason committee since the 1990s. Back then they were advised that the Region would reduce odours with better housekeeping and daily coverage of new garbage and that the landfill was only projected to be active for another decade or so! Wow, can you imagine local homeowners relying on that information then in regards as to whether to pull up stakes or not? .......................................................................................................... Besides odours, noise and loose garbage being blown about there has been another issue for a very long time. That issue is groundwater contamination and the original dump was not engineered with the now mandatory leachate collection and controls. The dump was retrofitted many years ago and the leaxchate collected is sent to one of our local waste water treatment plants for treatment prior to discharge to the Grand River. Meanwhile there is a known contaminant plume in the off-site groundwater. My recollection is that it might contain some DNAPL chemicals as explained in yesterday's post here. Regardless I am not fully confident in undocumented claims that no contaminant plume is heading towards drinking wells in and around St. Agatha. I very much doubt that in today's understanding of aquifer protection that a landfill would ever have been sited where the Erb St. landfill has been for so many decades. ......................................................................................................... There is a reason for NIMBY (Not In My Back Yard) attitudes. Those reasons include but are not limited to noise, odours, litter, property values and groundwater protection. It is hoped that the Erb St. Landfill is the last of its' kind in Waterloo Region.