Council Must Stop Construction at Site 41

SIMCOE COUNTY--An independent environmental review is needed before any more construction takes place at Site 41 in Simcoe County, Ontario, says the Green Party of Canada.  A blockade has now formed at all entrances to the dumpsite, which is located on the Alliston aquifer, and residents are calling for a one year moratorium on construction so that better public consultation and examination for environmental and safety concerns can be undertaken.  “The community is clearly against this dump site,” said Green Leader Elizabeth May. “Simcoe County councillors need to pause and listen to what their constituents are telling them—this dump is not in any way a good idea. There are better solutions than this and citizens should not have to resort to blockades to be heard.”

A special session of the local council regarding the one year moratorium has been scheduled for late August, but in the meantime, construction is being pushed forward quickly.  “Democracy demands that the council not allow this construction to continue until this resolution has been debated,” said May. “If they need to call a special meeting to resolve this situation, then that is what they should do.”

The site is also located on disputed land, making it a constitutional requirement for adequate consultation with First Nations peoples, something which the local residents feel has not been done.

The Green Party has been urging municipalities to look for alternate solutions to deal with their waste, especially as reusing and recycling wastes generates ten to fifteen times more jobs than land filling.

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Contact:
Michael Bernard
Communications Officer
Green Party of Canada
613-562-4916 ext. 244
(c) 613-614-4916
michael.bernard@greenparty.ca