The Barrie Examiner and the Midland Free Press report this morning that, “Farmers blocked the road to the North Simcoe Landfill, also known as Site 41, with (40) tractors yesterday in a peaceful demonstration that lasted about six hours and prevented dump trucks from reaching the landfill.”
“Local farmers have long been opposed to development of Site 41 because of their concerns that leachate from the site will eventually damage the source water for their wells.”
“Bob Ritchie, of Elmvale, said the issue is quite simply about water. ‘We are concerned what this will do to the water. …They couldn’t have chosen a worse place for a dump.. …They say it’s safe. I doubt we have a dump in Canada that won’t pollute. …The warranty on the liners is for two years and on the liner itself is only 20 years.”
“Farmer Roy Nahuis (says) ‘We don’t want any garbage at this site whatsoever. There’s more water underground than most people believe.'”
“(Dairy farmer) Art Parnell …says the location is not a proper site for a dump. ‘We have two flow wells on our farm and the landfill will jeopardize the water in the wells.'”
(“Some members of the Christian Island community who oppose the landfill have been staging a peaceful protest on …land owned by Parnell.”)
“John Nahuis, the Ontario Federation of Agriculture’s director in Tiny Township (says), ‘Maude Barlow, water adviser for the United Nations, has raised her concerns, Ontario Nature, Ontario Federation of Agriculture and Simcoe County Federation of Agriculture feel their concerns have not been addressed and the Ministry of the Environment should never have approved the permit to take water. …The landfill project was (initially) rejected after a 70-day environmental assessment hearing in 1989. However, the Ontario government intervened and overturned the decision through an order-in- council.'”
“Simcoe North MPP Garfield Dunlop has a private members’ bill before the Ontario legislature that, if passed, would kill the project.”
The full article is at http://m.thebarrieexaminer.com/article.aspx?a=1595167
