SARAH WILLIAMS

STAFF WRITER

During the last Committee of the Whole meeting, council received a report reviewing the potential locations for the construction of a Household Hazardous and Electronic Waste depot within the County. The report was penned by Albert Paschkowiak, Environmental Services and Sustainability Supervisor.

Based on the results of the review, staff are recommending the South Marysburgh Landfill site as the preferred location for the facility.

The report stems from a March 8^th, 2022 deputation from Quinte Waste Solutions (QWS), in which the organization QWS requested that the municipality prove a site for construction of the medium sized household Hazardous and Electronic Waste.

Recommendations from staff include:

– Council direct staff to work with Quinte Waste Solutions to engage the Ministry of the Environment Conservation and Parks in a pre-consultation regarding the acceptance of household hazardous waste at the South Marysburgh Landfill.

-Council direct staff to work with Quinte Waste Solutions to prepare an Environmental Compliance Approval amendment to allow for acceptance of Household Hazardous waste at the South Marysburgh Landfill, if deemed appropriate during pre-consultation with the Ministry of the Environment Conservation and Parks

-That the Mayor, on behalf of Council, write a letter of support to Quinte Waste Solutions regarding the development of a proposed Household Hazardous and Electronic Waste depot at the South Marysburgh Landfill.

As per the Paschkowiak’s report, staff conducted a review of available municipal properties to identify possible locations for an HEW depot.

Councillor Phil Prinzen questioned selecting South Marysburgh as the best possible site, noting for many in the north end of the County, it might be faster to go to Belleville.

“I’ve read the location sites, I worry about it being in South Marysburgh,” said Prinzen. “It’s not really what I would classify as central. Can you elaborate as to why this is the best spot? I think it’s probably quicker to go to Belleville for many.”

Paschkowiak responded there were several factors that helped determine the best site, such as proximity to environmentally protected lands or wetlands and municipal zoning.

“Our rationale around selecting the sites to evaluate started with the north south split and overlaps we did not want to happen,” he explained. “We looked at the property owned by the municipality in those areas, many of which are surrounded by watersheds or environmentally protected areas, presenting complications. Zoning was another issue.”

Councillor Mike Harper described the proposal as a solution to a problem set out in the report, that being QWS reported a 16 per cent use per capita for Belleville versus 9 per cent for PEC residents indicating there may be material that is not being captured and being dumped elsewhere.

“This isn’t just about convenience. It’s about solving a problem,” stated Harper. “On top of that, we are adding oil and e-waste, which has also been difficult even with the charitable driven events.”

Paschkowiak agreed the addition of a HEW depot at the South Marysburgh landfill may impact roadside dumping.