Town of Ingersoll Requesting a Town Hall Meeting With Walker

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Tuesday, 3 March 2020 14:00

The Town of Ingersoll and Oxford County MPP Ernie Hardeman released separate statements today regarding the draft EA report from Walker Environmental Group.

ZORRA TOWNSHIP - The Town of Ingersoll and Oxford County MPP Ernie Hardeman released separate statements today regarding the draft EA report from Walker Environmental Group.

The Town of Ingersoll encourages all residents to review the documentation which you can view on the Town's web site. The Town has made it clear to Walker Industries that it is opposed to their proposal to develop and operate an industrial waste dump adjacent to the Thames River.

The Town is also opposed to the current Provincial Government process for such proposals, which exclude the right of impacted municipalities to approve new landfill sites. The final say on the project will ultimately be up to the Province, something Ingersoll Mayor has been fighting for years. He has convinced over 150 municipalities to join the Town of Ingersoll in demanding that the Province provide impacted municipalities with approval rights. Which you can read more about online here.

The Town has sent an official letter to Walker, requesting the following:

- Organize an open, public meeting in the Town of Ingersoll on March 23rd or 24th, or the week of March 30th, to give residents sufficient notice that they may be able to attend and participate;

- The meeting should occur in the evening after 6:30 PM so that residents have the opportunity to participate;

- The meeting should include a presentation on the project, a review of the studies and findings, and at least 60 minutes set aside for questions and comments from residents;

- Notice of the meeting should be advertised in area media, to ensure residents are informed;

- Additional public meetings may be necessary in April and May.

The Town has offered to provide the Auditorium at the Ingersoll District Memorial Centre, free of charge to ensure these public meetings happen.

Meanwhile in a press release Oxford County MPP Ernie Hardeman issued the following statement:

“I understand that Walker Environmental Group released a draft environmental assessment for a three-and-a-half-month review period. Comments on the draft have to be considered prior to formal submission of the final environmental assessment.

I have heard directly from my constituents about this proposed landfill and I know this project has been a significant concern for everyone in our community.

I applaud the Town of Ingersoll for requesting a town hall on the issue. It is important for Walker to hear directly from members of our community as well and I echo the community’s request for them to hold a town hall on the environmental assessment where residents will have an opportunity to voice their concerns in an official forum.

I have said it before but it bears repeating; landfills should not be forced onto communities that have legitimate environmental concerns. It should be the people on the ground who know their communities better than anyone that make these types of local decisions.”