HomeMy WebLinkAboutThe Citizen, 2013-06-13, Page 13THE CITIZEN, THURSDAY, JUNE 13, 2013. PAGE 13.
Vodden concerned with waste
By-election couldbe in September
Council
prepares
wind form
Beautifying Brussels
Members of the Brussels Horticultural Society were out and about last week planting flowers
along the village’s main street to help spruce up its look. Mary Douma, left, and Deb Seili,
centre, were busy planting while Agnes Ten Pas was supplying the evening’s water. (Vicky
Bremner photo)
And we’re underway
The motocross season kicked off last weekend with the
Walton Raceway hosting its first motocross event of the
year. The weather was perfect for the event and the riders
were riding high. (Denny Scott photo)
During a meeting of the Blyth-
Hullett Landfill board held earlier
this week, Councillor Brock Vodden,
with the support of North Huron
council, planned to report that the
expenses of the site need to be
carefully reviewed.
Vodden reported, during North
Huron Township council’s June 3
meeting, that he had researched the
landfill and is concerned that
finances are being wasted at the site.
Among the major issues that
Vodden felt needed to be discussed
are the amount of testing being done
and the possibility that chloride
deposits, which have been attributed
to waste from local tanneries, might
have existed before the landfill site
was in use thanks to natural brine
deposits.
“A large number of wells, even in
the last year, have been drilled to test
the ground water near the site as well
as the surface water,” Vodden said.
“The concern is the plume of
chloride allegedly moving away
from the site. There are some
reasons to believe this is accurate,
but we don’t know what the actual
levels are. They may be falling.
“These wells are drilled along
County Road 25, Blyth Road, and
the road salt could be contaminating
the findings,” he said.
Vodden said that other wells,
ahead of the plume had been tested
and that the companies responsible
for the testing found more chloride
there.
Vodden reported that last year
alone, the site cost North Huron
$35,000 for monitoring and that
Central Huron would have likely
paid more.
He went on to say that the
municipality was locked into a status
quo with its current engineering firm
because the reports aren’t changing
anything.
“We have to keep paying and
carrying the responsibility, but in the
meantime the costs continue to go up
and they may rise astronomically,”
he said. “I’m alarmed that they are
saying some huge increases of cost
may be coming. We’re faced with
something very serious here.”
The landfill site was closed in
recent years due to leachate concerns
with the chloride, however the two
contributing municipalities, North
Huron and Central Huron, maintain
a board to deal with the costs of the
site.
Vodden was instructed to report to
the board and bring back Central
Huron’s response on the money
being spent and if it could be better
allocated.
Continued from page 1
potential schedule for the by-
election, should the bylaw be passed
at the June 18 meeting.
After the bylaw is passed, Knight
suggested Friday, Aug. 2 as
nomination day. Knight states that
with Aug. 2, only 45 of the 60
permitted days will have elapsed
since the passing of the bylaw, but it
would allow the Municipal Property
Assessment Corporation (MPAC) 24
days to produce the preliminary
voters list.
On that schedule, Knight proposed
an election day of Monday, Sept. 16,
which is required to be 45 days after
nomination day.
Councillors agreed, without
exception, to proceeding with a by-
election with many stating it was the
most fair way to move forward to the
municipality’s ratepayers.
“A by-election is probably the
most transparent way we can go,”
said Seaforth Councillor Nathan
Marshall.
Councillor Alvin McLellan then
suggested that council make a policy
for future resignations, that way the
same discussion won’t have to take
place every time a councillor leaves
his position.
Mayor Bernie MacLellan said
that creating a blanket policy
could be a dangerous idea and
there would have to be time
constraints if a policy was to be
enacted.
Knight agreed, saying council
would have to “be careful” in certain
situations if a policy was to be put in
place.
A motion to proceed with the by-
election was then approved. After
the June 18 meeting, official details
of the nomination and election
schedules will be put in place and
those wishing to run for the position
may pick up nomination forms at
Huron East’s town hall office in
Seaforth.
Continued from page 11
finalized, councillors said that staff
could work to mitigate their issues
with the form and communicate
with councillors through e-mail so
the form is ready to be passed
and submitted at the June 18
meeting.
Knight said that while he was
glad council had waited so long to
submit its form, he didn’t think
council should wait much longer.
The consultation period runs
between four and six months,
Knight said, and council was
right in that six-month range on
June 4.
MacLellan said that it was
essentially just two paragraphs that
were being altered, so it shouldn’t
take too long.
COMMUNITIES IN BLOOM
The Municipality of Central Huron is looking
for like minded citizens from all areas of
the Municipality to sit on the Communities
in Bloom Committee. Please submit your
name and phone number by contacting the
Municipal Office (519) 482-3997
or email via email cao@centralhuron.com.
Knit & Natter
Wednesday 6:30-8:00 pm
Stitches with a Twist
519-523-9449
Blyth, Ont.
By Denny Scott
The Citizen