County officials took the unusual step of issuing a press release about the closing of the Hillsburgh transfer station because there is so much misinformation being spread about why it is being closed.
“There have been many emails, phone calls, and letters to the editor from residents in the Town of Erin who are unhappy with the County of Wellington’s decision to close the Hillsburgh Transfer Station,” the press release stated.
The release was issued by communications officer Andrea Ravensdale.
She wrote, “It has become apparent that some residents are not aware of the serious environmental concerns at the site, and what process and decisions the county has undertaken in the past eight years to attempt to address these concerns and to ensure the waste management needs of the residents in the Town of Erin are being met.
The county’s history in the handling of waste is relatively new. It accepted responsibility for all solid waste services in January 2001, and has been addressing environmental concerns at all 17 of the active and closed landfill sites it inherited. Over the past 10 years, it has closed, capped, and worked on sites to conform to the Ministry of the Environment’s standards for sites the County now owns.
In some cases, sites were closed and transfer stations developed to provide on-going waste management services to the residents in that area.
In the case of the Hillsburgh transfer station (formerly the Erin township dump, there is no way to properly cap the site to minimize the risk of groundwater contamination and continue operations at that location.
In 2002, the county presented plans to build a new full-service enclosed waste transfer facility on county Road 125 near Ospringe to provide the residents of Erin and the Township of Guelph-Eramosa a convenient facility to drop off waste, recyclables, bulky items (such as furniture, renovation waste, yard waste, appliances, scrap metal), selected household hazardous waste, and good useable items for a reuse centre.
That site was to have been built and been operating prior to the necessary closure and remediation of the Hillsburgh transfer station.
The county was unable to proceed with the development of that facility due to public and political opposition, leaving it to deal piecemeal with the Hillsburgh transfer station.
Due to the seriousness of the current situation, county council decided it had no choice but to shut down operations at the Hillsburgh site this year.
Since there is no alternative facility in the area, county council offered curbside collection of blue box recyclables and household bagged garbage to all residents of the Town of Erin. Information packages will be distributed to rural residents in early April to explain how to use the county’s curbside collection service that will begin May 6.
Other items that typically would not require regular disposal but could be kept or stored for a period of time and disposed of every few months, may be taken to any of the other six county waste facilities (the closest facility for Erin residents is located on County Road 19, 2km west of Belwood).
Special collection events are also provided for proper disposal of electronics (April 24) and household hazardous materials (Aug. 14) in Erin, at the Erin community centre. Additional events are held in each of the other six county municipalities that residents of Erin may also use.
More information is available on the county’s website at www.wellington.ca or by calling the solid waste services division office at 519-837-2601 or toll-free 1-866-899-0248.
