"We should have a choice": Ingersoll residents rally against proposed dump

Rally against proposed landfill near Ingersoll From CTV Kitchener’s Tina Yazdani: Residents worry the site could contaminate their drinking water.

Hundreds gathered at a rally Sunday to protest a proposed landfill site near Ingersoll.

Residents have been fighting the plan for years.

“We should have a choice,” says Neil Dennison. “If we don’t want a landfill we should be able to say no landfill. This is our area, we live here, and we have to suffer.”

The proposed dump would be near the town’s quarry, next the Thames River.

“We’re very concerned about the quality of the Thames River,” says Roberta Cory. “We’re downstream from Ingersoll.”

Residents worry about the dump’s impact on groundwater which is the source of the town’s drinking water.

The site is also near the largest cemetery in Oxford County.

“It’s got to be treated with respect,” says Cathy Mott, who works at the Ingersoll Rural Cemetery. “It’s a religious place. It’s got to be looked after. It’s very spiritual.”

Another concern is the potential increase in dump trucks. As many as 170 could come every day, leading to concerns of congestion and pollution.

Walker Industries, the group behind the proposed dump, were not available for comment. In the past they told CTV: “There is a substantial need for a new landfill site in Ontario. The province ships out 3 million tons of waste each year.”