The County of Lambton will add its voice to Chatham-Kent's call for more information about a proposed Dresden-area recycling and landfill expansion.
York1 Environmental Waste Solutions Ltd. has requested provincial approval for a facility that would accept 6,000 tonnes of material per day, amounting to as many as 700 trucks visiting the site 24 hours a day, seven days a week.
Dawn-Euphemia Mayor Alan Broad said the fact the company hasn't even shared a traffic study is "ludicrous."
"We have a huge concern down in Dawn-Euphemia that the dump is only 2.5 kilometres from our municipality and an influx of trucks like that is just unfathomable at the end of the day," said Broad.
Council endorsed his request to have the county submit a comment before the March 16th deadline.
Infrastructure and Development Services General Manager Jason Cole agreed the proximity of the site to the municipality and the expected traffic is "extremely concerning."
"An increase of the magnitude that they have identified within their amendment through the Environmental Registry Ontario process contains very little detailed information," Cole said. "Even in the public sessions that have been presented, there's been very few answers as to detailed information about how this site is intended to operate."
Cole planned to ask for a more extended process.
"It is unlikely that we would get the province to ask for a full environmental assessment process, but we can ask for a more detailed process, with more detailed information provided, and that is our target right now," he said.
Mayor Broad also urged Lambton County residents and his colleagues to submit their own comments on the proposal for the Irish School Road property.
"[About] 700 trucks a day... they could possibly go right down Highway 21 (Oil Heritage Road) to Dresden," he said. "So, that's going to affect Plympton-Wyoming, Petrolia, Oil Springs, Enniskillen, and Dawn-Euphemia. If they decide to use Highway 79, it could be Watford, Warwick, and Brooke-Alvinston. We're all in this together."
Broad believes the whole project should be put on hold until the information starts flowing.