MORRISBURG – Provincial law requires a municipality to submit a landfill closure plan to the Ontario Ministry of the Environment, Conservation and Parks two years prior to closure activities occurring, so the time is now for the Matilda waste disposal site.
Jennifer Brown-Hawn of WSP presented the Matilda closure plan to South Dundas council at their August 14 meeting.
Since the Matilda site’s remaining capacity is less than 1.2 years, Brown-Hawn recommended that the plan be submitted for closure activities to commence.
“We’re responsible for it for another 67 years and the costs associated with that, so the sooner we can close it, the better,” said South Dundas councillor Danielle Ward.
Brown-Hawn recommended that closure activities start as soon as possible for areas of the landfill that have already reached capacity so that the associated costs can be spread out over time.
The next step in the process is a South Dundas municipal staff report to council to get the application submitted to the ministry.
The detailed closure plan, a 113 page document, includes information regarding every detail such as site appearance after closure and a description of the proposed end use of the site.
The document presented says that: Upon completion of post-closure activities at the Matilda WDS, the Municipality is exploring options to develop the site as a transfer station for waste and recyclable materials; alternatively, the land will be left dormant, and vegitation will be allowed to grow naturally. Public access and future development will be restricted.
Descriptions of the procedures for closure of the site, including public notification and ongoing inspection details are also outlined in the report.