An Ontario Liberal MPP is asking Ontario's Integrity Commissioner to investigate Premier Doug Ford and three ministers over their proposed reversal of an environmental assessment (EA) promised for the dormant Dresden landfill.
Ted Hsu, MPP for Kingston and the Islands, wrote the Integrity Commissioner on Friday requesting an investigation into the connections between the premier, ministers, and developers regarding the Dresden landfill revival on Irish School Road.
Hsu said the premier and the ministers may have contravened the Members' Integrity Act, alleging Ford attended Progressive Conservative Party fundraisers closely aligned with key regulatory decisions on the landfill and is directly connected to donors with a financial stake in the project.
The MPP accused former Minister of Environment Andrea Khanjin of announcing the environmental assessment in March 2024 that appeared to stall the project just before a byelection in the riding of Lambton-Kent-Middlesex in May 2024 where the dump is located.
Also named in the letter are current Environment Minister Todd McCarthy, who now leads the province's efforts to cancel the EA through legislation, a move, Hsu said, that would benefit the landfill's new owners Brian Brunetti, the current president and chief operating officer of York 1 Waste Solutions in Mississauga, and his partners Daniel and Andrew Guizzetti.
Minister of Energy Stephen Lecce is also named for introducing Bill 5 in April 2025 that exempts the Dresden dump from the EA process despite significant local opposition and no comparable exemptions for other landfills, noted Hsu.
"Each of these ministers played a role in a sequence of events that appears to favour a politically connected group of developers and major Progressive Conservative Party donors. The circumstances raise serious concerns about whether political donations, lobbying relationships, and insider connections may have unduly influenced the exercise of public authority and shaped the premier's and his ministers' decisions," wrote Hsu.
Hsu questions substantial political donations from developers and executives affiliated with Guizzetti companies in 2024-2025 with a direct financial stake in the Dresden landfill; the premier's participation in political fundraisers held shortly after the EA was announced for the site; and the ensuing introduction of legislation that would cancel the EA and benefit the donors.
"The Guizzetti brothers, their family members, and executives at their companies have donated over $200,000 to the Progressive Conservative Party since 2018," Hsu noted.
MPP Hsu wants the Integrity Commissioner to look into whether Premier Ford and the ministers used their office to further the private interests of political donors and if they provided preferential treatment or access to individuals or entities based on political fundraising.
The province said in April 2025 that it needs additional waste capacity in Ontario due to the threat of U.S. tariffs impacting Ontario’s waste sector, even though Premier Ford told a news conference in Windsor in March 2024 that he believed in the people and if they don’t want something like the Dresden dump, then the province won’t do it.
New Lambton-Kent-Middlesex MPP Steve Pinsonneault opposed reviving the landfill as a Chatham-Kent councillor before the byelection that he won.
He said the project will continue to remain subject to strong provincial oversight and other regulatory requirements including Environmental Compliance Approvals (ECA) under the Environmental Protection Act (EPA) and Ontario Water Resources Act (OWRA).
“I know this decision is disappointing for many residents -- I share those concerns. As a councillor, and now as your MPP, I have always prioritized the well-being of our community and strongly believe in the power of local advocacy,” said Pinsonneault. “I am actively engaging with the Minister of Environment to ensure that the unique perspectives and needs of Lambton-Kent-Middlesex are taken seriously throughout this process.”
The community is encouraged to formally share their comments through the Environmental Registry of Ontario (ERO). Public input is currently being accepted until May 17, 2025. Click here to submit a comment.
Public hearings on Bill 5 are scheduled for May 22, 2025 and May 26, 2025.