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Home My WebLink AboutThe Citizen, 1991-10-16, Page 7THE CITIZEN, WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 16 1991. PAGE 7. 40 turn out to first Grey landfill meeting On the map Jill Hayden (centre) and Jenny Kilberg look at the map outlining the location of Grey #3 candidate site for the Huron County landfill site. The two were among about 40 people who attended an information meeting Wednesday night in Ethel to hear county officials explain what happens next in the selection process. _________________________ ires to the northern sites. "I would suggest that maybe you're thinking of importing garbage," he said. But Mr. Merrall said that from the start of the torturously long pro cess of preparing the Master Plan, it was the decision of the elected councillors to confine the use of the landfill to Huron county residents (although residents of some com munities outside the county that already use Huron landfills will be included). Mr. Cowman suggested that for a waste landfill site to be set up in Grey, a zoning change would have to be approved by township coun cil. How would the current council lors vote on that change if it became obvious that the residents of the area were against the use of the land for a landfill, he asked. Reeve Armstrong, and councillors Robin Dunbar, Helen Cullen and Dale Machan all said that if the lengthy and expensive process showed that the safest site in the county was in Grey, they would have to approve the zoning change needed. Deputy-Reeve Graeme MacDonald joked that he might not have a vote because he might be in a conflict of interest. For the most part, however, the meeting showed quiet concern on the part of those present with little controversy. Archie Jacklin pointed out his property (lot 14, conces- sion3) is within 40 rods of the Maitland River with drainage tiles going right into the river. Mr. Mer rall said if there was a problem, the sooner the land could be explored, the better. He said he would like to sec permission from the Ministry of the Environment to bore test holes on land rather than taking the cheaper method of open pits from backhoes which cause more disrup tion but don't reveal as much about the subsoil of the site. He assured landowners that if something is found on their land that will eliminate the property, they will know quickly. A letter from the consulting engineer with his findings would go tc the Waste Management Steering Committee and "the information we get will be public information." He said that people could be there when soil testing was done on their property and the information would be avail able to the residents. "We're trying not to give people surprises. We're trying to advise people if their site has been eliminated." Reeve Armstrong also tried to calm the residents. "Don't lose sleep over it (being selected as one of the six sites)" she said. "It could be that none of the six sites will be chosen." She asked everybody to work with a spirit of co-operating and hoped that the county's consul tants would work as quickly as pos sible "so you can get on with your lives." By the time all the bases are touched in the site selection pro cess, however, it seems residents of the candidate site areas will have a long wait ahead. There is a human price for mak ing sure Huron County follows the correct route to choosing a landfill site, County Engineer Denis Mer rall told about 40 Grey township residents effected by Grey Site 3 who attended a meeting in Ethel Wednesday night. Urged by landowner David Kil berg to buy up effected land as soon as it can, Mr. Merrall said the county must wait until it gets provincial approval for the final site choice before it can act. That means, he said, that when the Stage 3A report of the Huron County Waste Management Master Plan is released (in April 1993 if all goes well), a recommended final site will be named but it will be months before the county gets environmen tal approval for the site and the county can buy the land, perhaps in 1995. "There's a hardship factor," he said. "We have to be open and reveal everything we know" but the county can't take action to buy the land. Jo-Anne Richter, Project Co ordinator told the audience that unless the Grey No. 3, (one of four candidate sites in Grey of the six sites in the entire county named in the release Oct. 3 of the Stage 2B report of the Master Plan) is elimi nated earlier for environmental concerns, it's going to be at least a couple of years before residents know if the site is going to rank near the top or the bottom. In the Stage 3A report, the remaining sites will be ranked in terms of which is least damaging from an environ mental viewpoint. Grey Township Reeve Leona Armstrong stressed that public and environmental safety were the number one priority in choosing a site. "We're not playing games here," she said. "It's of utmost importance we find a site thafs going to last a long time and be as safe as possible." But not everyone believed that. Gordon Cowman, owner of proper ty in the nearby Grey 2 site, said "I find it incredible that five of six sites are in the north, way from the centres that are producing the garbage." He pointed to the high trucking costs that would be involved in getting the garbage from the southern and central cen- THE TASTE OF LOW, LOW PRICES! imnmmmnk Canada Grade A Beef 6.59kg BONELESS HIP SIRLOIN TIP STEAKS Frustration at Walton meeting About 30 people attended the meeting on Thursday night at Wal ton Hall regarding the Grey #5 site. This candidate site involves Part of Lots 10, 11, 12, 13, 14 and 15 of Cone. 14 and Part of Lots 12, 13, 14 and 15 of Cone. 15. The general mood of the evening was that of frustration, hostility and, in no small degree, bewilder ment as to how the sites were selected and Grey ended with four out of six of the candidate sites. After a presentation by Huron County Engineer Denis Merrall, Mr. Abraham Vandervccn, the owner of one of the properties, asked whether or not the landown ers would be notified prior to the arrival of individuals on the proper ty for site testing. Mr. Merrall assured Mr. Van- derveen that if that is important to the landowners he would sec that it became a condition of the agree ment. He said he would discipline the consultants to advise of their impending arrival on the property, adding that should a problem arise he would be prepared to lake the complaint and deal with it. "We are here to work with you. It is impor tant that it be done right and we fol low the necessary procedures," he said. David Perrie, who owns neigh bouring property to the candidate site suggested that one "megad ump" for the entire county could not possibly meet the demand when the township ones couldn't. Mr. Merrall explained that it had been the consultants opinion that two sites have a greater negative impact than one large dump. He said as well, that in terms of the larger urban areas, this is not a "megadump" and said there is a restriction of the Ministry of the Environment that a waste manage ment program must be in place Continued on page 8 200g REGULAR MAXWELL HOUSE INSTANT COFFEE EMAIS SUPPLIED BY ELLIOTT MARR A CO INLONDON WE RESERVE THE RIGHT IO UMI1 QUANllllk S TO NORMAL FAMILY REQUIREMENTS PRICES EFFECTIVE FROM TUESDAY OCT 15th UNTIL SATUROAY OCT 19th TEXT PREVAILS WHEN PHOTO OOLS NOT CORRFSPONO TO DESC RIPTION SAVINGS BASED ON REGULAR RETAIL S 3.73kg Freshness & Quality LEAN GROUND BEEF viimuiu/im 28oz. sauce or 900g asst'd vpr. pasta PRIMO SPAGHETTI SAUCE or PASTA .69 vimiimumn PROD. OF ONT.CAN FANCY GRADE 31b. bag MacINTOSH APPLES 1.79 PROD. OF THE TROPICS 64kg BANANAS w/Humumi 3 litre jug PRIMO VEGETABLE OIL 2.99 LEAVE YOUR FILM WITH US SREOWM MOktt it fatUM, ftytCC