With ever-increasing pressures on landfill sites like the one at Prince Albert, the R.M. of Birch Hills is mulling a proposal for a large regional non-hazardous landfill cell south of Highway 3. (File photo/paNOW Staff) 

By Glenn Hicks

waste matter

R.M. of Birch Hills landfill report made public

Sep 23, 2019 | 2:00 PM

The report into a proposed large scale regional waste landfill in the R.M. of Birch Hills has been made public and the reeve is welcoming further feedback.

Independent third-party consultant Tetra Tech compiled the document on the proposal by Greenland Waste on pastureland south of the Branspeth turn off on Highway 3. It offers a summary of responses to input to date, including a recent public meeting, and can be obtained from the R.M. office.

“We have nothing to hide and council wants to do their due diligence before making a decision,” R.M. of Birch Hills Reeve Alan Evans told paNOW. “That information will be gathered and go to council.”

He noted if someone had not yet been heard or if they had more to give in response to the report they could contact the R.M.

The report looks at many areas including how landfill groundwater monitoring is done, the length of road needed for the site and how to mitigate hazardous waste entering the facility.

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Evans said there was currently no timeline set for a decision but he promised residents he would inform them when a vote was set to happen.

“By the time the next meeting comes around [in October] we will probably be more firm on our timelines on what we’re gong to do,” he said.

Waste would be hauled from a large geographical area from as far as Green Lake in the northwest, Hudson Bay in the east, Wadena in the South East and Duck Lake to the southwest.

Many local residents are not happy about the idea and have signed a petition on noise, traffic and environmental concerns. Others are worried the landfill could affect nearby property values. The reeve said his council would have to weigh the concerns and the net benefits of the project which includes the possibility of better waste collection rates for residents in the surrounding area.

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glenn.hicks@jpbg.ca

On Twitter:@princealbertnow