At Monday night’s Council meeting, following the passing of Bill 5 last week, Chatham-Kent Council unanimously passed a motion directing administration to continue opposing the proposed landfill at 29831 Irish School Road near Dresden. This includes engaging with federal and provincial agencies, and commissioning expert environmental and traffic impact reviews.
“The people of Dresden, Indigenous Nations, and our entire community have spoken with one voice: this project is not welcome in our community,” said Chatham-Kent Mayor Darrin Canniff. “Council stands 100% united in our opposition, and we will continue working to ensure that environmental protections, community health, and Indigenous rights are not disregarded. Chatham-Kent has a history of being welcoming and open to investment, but this project will undoubtedly have negative impacts on our residents, infrastructure and environment, so we cannot support it.”
The motion passed by Council includes calls for the Province to reverse its decision and require a full Environmental Assessment. If the Province is not prepared to do so, Council calls on the Province to require comprehensive studies and public consultation equivalent to those required under the Environmental Assessment Act. These include environmental, geotechnical, noise, air quality, and socio-economic impact studies, as well as formal engagement and consultation with affected Indigenous Nations.
Chatham-Kent will also request a federal environmental review under the Impact Assessment Act and examine opportunities to challenge the legislation in through different appeal routes.
Residents can continue learning about this ongoing issue at www.DefendDresden.ca.
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Media Contact:
Eric Labadie
Manager, Corporate Communications
Municipality of Chatham-Kent
519-360-1998 x 2039
ericl@chatham-kent.ca
