Full House

Thursday, 24 October 2013 00:50

Hundreds turn out to County Council to hear results of landfill motion

Residents against the proposed landfill in Beachville are sure to be celebrating.

Hundreds came out to County Council Thursday to show their objection to the landfill and to hear council's unanimous decision to ask Planning Staff to come back with a plan to restrict the way foreign waste comes in to Oxford County.

Chair of Oxford Coalition for Social Justice, Brian Smith says County council has now done something the province was too afraid to.

"We asked the province by a petition to have a one year moratorium on all dumps in Ontario and allow scientists to do research into what would be appropriate alternatives and they didn't at the time take action and here the County council has committed to having a full public consultation."

Before the vote was cast, council went into a closed session to discuss a legal matter in regards to the motion which lasted more than an hour and made Ingersoll resident Mike Farlow nervous.

"I was worried. You just never know who is doing what. For all of them to vote for it, they are starting, all of them now to listen to what people want."

Oxford People Against the Landfill Chairperson Steve McSwiggan says the group has worked hard and the decision to pass the motion makes it all worth it.

"It really isn't a done deal anymore and people who are saying that around Oxford County, this just tells you that the political system is working for us, it's working in the direction we are wanting it to go in and it's not a done deal."

Ingersoll Mayor Ted Comiskey says the motion applies to not only Walker Environmental, but any other company coming to town with similar requests

"If we are looking after our own waste and doing it properly and maintaining it, then we have to make sure that is insured for all waste. We either restrict it coming in at all or we put regulations on it to govern it so it is safe and it is protected."

"We this comes back and the plan is agreed upon and council approves it, it will tell anyone who wishes to form a private landfill that they have rules and regulations they would have to go by totally."

Comiskey thanks everyone who came out to support his motion.

"What it showed is phenomenal concern and that was what it was all about. The whole idea is that this wont effect you and I, this is going to effect our kids, our grand kids and future generations. That's what these people coming out, that's what it showed, is that there is that concern that in the future, what health effects would be caused by landfills."

During the more than an one hour closed session, hundreds of audience members broke out into several chants including "stop the dump", "save our water" and "Where are they?!"