Bill to help fast-track Dresden landfill passes

Provincial legislation to help fast-track a highly contentious landfill in Dresden, Ont. was passed on Wednesday.

As part of Bill 5, 'Protect Ontario by Unleashing our Economy Act,’ Ontario can exempt certain projects from the need for a full environmental assessment.

“Dresden is that special place where all the evils in Bill five will sort of happen first,” said Stefan Premdas, the board chair of Dresden C.A.R.E.D, an advocacy group formed in opposition to the landfill.

Despite exhaustive efforts by Liberal and NDP MPPs to stall the vote, the Ford government pushed through the legislation.

The bill will exempt the York1 Environmental Waste Solutions project on Irish School Road from a comprehensive environmental assessment.

In recent months, Dresden residents, the Municipality of Chatham-Kent and Walpole Island First Nation have vehemently opposed the proposal.

The long-defunct dump was previously used as a tile yard and ash landfill. By reopening it, residents fear there will be adverse changes to the environment, impacting their health, wildlife, and nearby ecosystems.

York1 has insisted the site will recycle construction materials and non-hazardous soils, but municipal officials have disputed the claim.

“We are feeling emotional as to Bill Five passing, but make no mistake, us being emotional and sad does not mean we’ve stopped fighting,” Premdas told CTV News.

The bill has been heavily scrutinized by First Nations Communities, who say their rights have been trampled.

Leela Thomas, chief of Walpole Island First Nation, told CTV News the government delivered a “slap in the face” to treaty rights.

When asked about Dresden, Thomas noted they don’t believe the fight is over.

“We’re going to fight this to the Supreme Court if we need to,” Thomas said.

Dresden area MPP Steve Pinsonneault was absent Wednesday from his seat at Queen’s Park when Bill 5 was approved.

Pinsonneault had previously broken with party rank by publicly voicing his opposition to the legislation.

In a previous post on social media, Pinsonneault said even if he voted against the bill, it wouldn’t change the outcome.

CTV News reached out to MPPs across Windsor-Essex and Chatham-Kent but only received one response.

Andrew Dowie, MPP for Windsor-Tecumseh, downplayed the concerns over the landfill proposal.

“This is not a new landfill in Dresden. It is already approved for waste, and the same very strict environmental scrutiny through the ECA, the Environmental Compliance Approval process, will remain,” Dowie said. “This is not zero regulation. This is pretty tough regulation.”

On several occasions, the Ford government has defended the legislation because of dwindling landfill space.

“The United States, particularly Michigan, has said they’re tired of taking in our waste generated in Ontario, and we do not have an overabundance of landfill capacity,” Dowie added.

— With files from CTV Windsor’s Michelle Maluske and Travis Fortnum.