Much of the optimism many had about an upcoming court battle against the proposed Dresden Landfill was lost during a recent public meeting.
Members of the Municipality of Chatham-Kent's (CK) administration held an information session on Wednesday, June 24, answering residents' questions and outlining all efforts to stop the project.
All questions were submitted before the session, with staff explaining that many focused on the planned court hearing in September. The municipality argues that York1 Environmental Waste Solutions, which is seeking to construct the landfill, needs land-use planning approvals. The company believes it doesn't, since the property was previously used as a dump.
Emily Crawford, the Director of Legal Services for CK, said it could take months to reach a decision after the hearing.
She added that even if they were to win, York1 would still have other avenues to get the project approved. This includes going through CK's council and appealing any decision with the Ontario Land Tribunal.
What sucked the air out of the room was a comment from Crawford, who claimed the province can simply bypass the municipality whenever it wants through a Minister Zoning Order.
Councillor Rhonda Jubenville, whose Ward includes Dresden, told CK News Today she understands that the information shared wasn't what many people wanted to hear, but sitting down and just accepting the loss isn't an option.
"If we just give up and say we're going to lose, then it's an easy battle [for York1]. If we keep proposing roadblocks and going through all the processes, it's gonna be a little more difficult for them," she added.
Another piece of information that didn't sit well with the crowd came from a traffic study done by York1. According to the municipality's administration, all traffic to the landfill would avoid going directly through Dresden, but would go through the nearby communities of Thamesville and Kent Bridge.
"It almost makes me think, did they purposely avoid going through Dresden to appease the people in Dresden, and aren't worried about the people in Thamesville and Kent Bridge," added Jubenville.
Also shared at the meeting was that the municipality has spent around $125,000 fighting the project. A lot of this money has been spent on legal experts.
Chairman of Dresden Citizens Against Reckless Environmental Disposal (Dresden C.A.R.E.D.) Rob Simpson, has no issue with the costs. He hasn't been a fan of York1's efforts to get the project approved, so any money spent fighting back is well spent.
"York1 came in and slapped a lawsuit on Chatham-Kent before they sat down for real. Walpole Island Chief Leela Thomas said [York1] said basically, we don't have to talk to you," he added.
The municipality's administration ended the meeting by assuring the public that it would provide updates whenever they get new information.
