People planning to use free mulch from the Belwood transfer station will have some time before spring to find an alternate source.
County council was unanimous Feb. 24 in voting to stop giving away mulch – a recommendation by its solid waste services committee.
They received a report from county engineer Gord Ough. He said on Feb. 8 the county accepts waste wood and brush at four of its six sites, and at the Belwood facility, that waste has been turned into mulch and offered to the public.
“Given that there is a concern that wood and brush materials from the Township of Centre Wellington may be infested with termites, and the only facility in Centre Wellington that accepts wood waste is Belwood, [solid waste services] staff are concerned that there is a potential to spread the termite infestation into new areas of the county if the practice of giving away mulch at Belwood continues,” Ough said in the report.
He added over the past few years, public interest in free mulch declined, and “most of the mulch is used for other purposes at county waste facilities. Staff believe there would not be a significant public concern with discontinuing the practice of giving away mulch, and will ensure any potential of termite infested wood products being taken to other areas of the county will be eliminated.”
Committee chairman Don McKay said the move is “a precautionary measure. We haven’t found any problems.”
McKay said there was a second recommendation about termites in the report, but he asked that it be deferred.
The recommendation stated “that the county not offer to accept termite infested material at any of its waste facilities at this time and that Centre Wellington be encouraged to continue to investigate other options for disposal.
Ough told the committee at one time homeowners were required to treat termite infested wood and unwanted materials were also treated or burned before delivery to a landfill.
Suppliers of those chemicals can no longer provide the service if the material is shipped off site, and the option of burning is impractical.
Ough said Centre Wellington has a burn bin at one of its yards for small amounts, and tells residents with larger amounts to take it to a site in St. Thomas. He added there is an expectation of the township’s building department conveying to the public that the county should provide a landfill site as the sole solution for that material because no other options exist.
Ough said the county has not accepted termite infested material and looks upon accepting it as a last solution – once treatment occurred.
“The risks of spreading this infestation to other municipalities or to a greater extent in Centre Wellington become high due to resident practices that can never be fully controlled. This is especially the case for solid waste service operations that have been established to be more accessible and customer oriented than a larger private facility that only accepts large bin waste that is immediately buried. Although the county landfill option is the easiest, it may not be the best option.
Ough said Guelph has a termite problem and ships its waste to a private landfill. The city is permitted to accept waste from other municipalities and might agree to take it from Centre Wellington. That would cut transportation costs.
Another option is using an old gravel pit because termites do not thrive in sandy soils, but burning and burying the material is not permitted.
McKay asked that the recommendation to not offer to accept termite infested materials at any waste facilities be deferred. He said before council votes on that option, the committee would like to hear from delegations.
Council agreed to the delay.
McKay said in an interview that the committee would hear delegations at its April 12, 1pm meeting at the county administration buildings.
Councillor Joanne Ross-Zuj thanked council for deferring its decision.
