MPPs bury dump certificate
Posted By DOUGLAS GLYNN
Posted 2 months ago
Simcoe North MPP Garfield Dunlop's private member's bill aimed at revoking the certificate of approval for dump Site 41 passed second reading in the legislature on Thursday by a vote of 40 to 11.
In a move that surprised many observers, a number of Liberals voted for the bill, along with Dunlop's Conservative colleagues and the NDP. Not all the Liberal MPPs were present for the recorded vote.
Dunlop said afterward the next step is for people to put pressure on the government to move the bill to committee.
"I don't want it buried," he said. "I felt positive about things this past week because other members -- including Liberals -- kept coming up to me saying they couldn't believe the number of e-mails and phone calls they were getting," he said.
"I told them we're never going to stop. There's never going to be a landfill there."
Dunlop said he was approached by a number of Liberals who said their constituents wanted them to support the bill.
"According to the premier and (Environment Minister John) Gerretsen -- who were swallowing the poison of the county -- the science proves the site is OK," Dunlop said. when asked if he thought Gerretsen would change his mind.
"It's not OK. We think we have enough background and expertise. We have the Steve Ogdens of the world who are saying there's another choice."
"Of course, we are going to watch very carefully to see what happens with the calibrated Modflow to see what happens with that," Dunlop said.
He said he is offended by the way in which Simcoe County has treated the Information and Privacy Commissioner. (The Commissioner has ordered the county to obtain the Modflow from the engineering firm that produced it, but that has not happened.)
"I hope the county will look at that in a more positive manner and hand over the information so we can look at it," he said.
Asked how soon the bill might go to committee, Dunlop replied that it is not an easy task.
"But I will be working on that. It's a private member's bill, but it's a very good private member's bill," he said.
Although the county has mothballed the dump, opponents fear the property could be sold and the certificate of approval used to open a private dump.
If the bill as proposed becomes law, it would revoke the Ministry of Environment certificate of approval and prohibit the disposal of waste at the North Simcoe Landfill, formerly called Site 41.
In addition, it would extinguish certain causes of action that may exist concerning the site, and would entitle the County of Simcoe to compensation from the crown for certain expenses, provided the government authorizes the payment of compensation.
Nearly 100 Site 41 opponents packed the public galleries for the debate on the bill, but had left for a rally at Ryerson University before the recorded vote was taken.
Barrie Liberal MPP Aileen Carroll, minister of culture and the minister responsible for seniors, said in an interview after the vote that the government cannot unilaterally revoke the certificate of approval.
"We don't have that power. It was issued to the county," she said. "The onus is on them to ask that it be revoked. In fact, I have asked the county to make that request. And if they make that request it will be revoked."
Simcoe County spokesperson Marci Dineen said both parties -- the County of Simcoe and the province--can affect the change.
"Only the county can ask for the certificate of approval to be revoked and only the province can revoke it. The province can do that by request or not," she said.
From here the bill will go back to the Ontario standing committee on justice policy, which will determine when it returns to the legislature for third and final reading.
* with files from Ian McInroy
