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Sign-carrying protesters at Tuesday’s Site 41 vote included children brought by their parents.

Site 41 passes by skin of its teeth

BY Laurie Watt June 26, 2007 15:06

Simcoe County council voted 16-15 Tuesday to authorize staff to begin construction of Site 41 in Tiny Township.

After an hour’s debate, Innisfil Mayor Brian Jackson called for the vote – and a slim majority of council agreed. Some county officials wanted the council to discuss the issue openly, with the gallery filled to capacity and security officers and OPP officers posted outside the building.

Tiny Township Mayor Peggy Breckenridge urged her colleagues to take time to consider the site and its impact on groundwater. She said the county has time to debate and consider the impact of Site 41 and alternatives to it.

“When we visited a site in Halton, it brought tears to my eyes as I smelled that horrible smell. When they passed out our lunch, I gagged. This is a very serious topic,” she said.

“This council is new and we haven’t been here six months. We haven’t had a chance to debate this issue.”

But Bradford West Gwillimbury Mayor Doug White reminded council the Site 41 debate has lasted 28 years and cost millions in studies and peer reviews.

“At least a decade, a whole series of provincial approvals and millions were spent. Enough is enough,” he said. “Our site is closing prematurely. The greater good requires leadership and sometimes that means looking people in the eye and telling them things they don’t want to hear. After the copious studies and a Certificate of Approval, and the millions spent, it’s time to move on.”

Tiny Township Deputy Mayor George Lawrence said the county should think of future generations when considering where to put garbage.

“What’s the rush? I’ll be sneered upon by some county councillors,” he said, adding the existing 10-year capacity the county’s landfills now have is sure to growth as electronics and organics programs increase diversion rates.

“For the next 100 years, we will be spending millions of our children’s and grandchildren’s money to monitor this landfill,” he said, to make sure garbage leachate doesn’t impact the pure water below the site just outside of Elmvale.

Springwater Deputy Mayor Tony Hope said political games had to stop.

“I did not come here to play political ping pong. I want a solution,” he said. “I have concerns about Site 41, but I have greater concerns about another (site) four kilometres from my front door, Site 5. It takes in garbage from North Simcoe … It’s on the same watershed and aquifer as Site 41.”

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