ESPANOLA—It appears the issue involving H. Dodge Haulage Ltd. and the Ministry of the Environment, Conservation and Parks (MECP) that could have potentially closed the landfill used by 10 municipalities and six First Nations communities, including several on Manitoulin Island, has been resolved.
“It would have been a disaster for us (Gore Bay) and other municipalities if it happened and the landfill had closed,” stated Gore Bay Mayor Ron Lane. “It’s a good business with a captive audience. Dodge is one of the few places around that takes garbage from other municipalities.”
“The response (from MECP) was swift to the concerns we raised,” stated Ernest Dodge, owner of H. Dodge Haulage Ltd., last week. “Things are somewhat resolved. We are not closing anything down yet.”
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“They are not going to stop using the non-residential construction price index (NR-CPI) process, and we are still in negotiations,” said Mr. Dodge. However, MECP has decreased the rate it was originally proposing, which means Mr. Dodge’s landfill financial assurance obligation has been reduced. “Our MPP Bill Rosenberg gave my letter to the MECP minister. The manager, who I talked to, is a great guy and our (price index) increase will be 2.51 which is lower than it was three years ago and lower than what they had been proposing 5.8.”
Mr. Dodge had been looking at an increase of 70 percent for the landfill financial assurance obligation-money set aside for future closure of the landfill. However, “the ministry still seems to lack knowledge that what we have here is not collecting garbage from industrial, condominiums, but earthworks.”
“I was told write a heartfelt letter on how this process would affect our business,” said Mr. Dodge. “The manager said the law on this, but they can help me. Nothing is carved in stone yet, but we are close. They are looking at our logics.”
Mr. Dodge had previously explained his landfill financial assurance obligation, money set aside for future closure of the landfill, was recently increased by 70 percent by MECP. This hike is based not on-site conditions, but on MECP’s use of the non-residential construction price index (NR-CPI) which reflects costs of urban building projects like condominiums, plumbing, electrical trades, steel and concrete, none of which are part of landfill closure.
“Our site shouldn’t be included in this, all we have on our site is earth works,” said Mr. Dodge. He pointed out everything is in place at the Espanola site for expansion.
“MECP reviewers locked in a once in a century COVID era spike as though it were the new normal. They applied Toronto and Ottawa high-rise construction costs to a small-town landfill in Espanola. That’s not environmental protection, that’s bureaucratic box-ticking. A landfill isn’t a condo tower, and MECP should know the difference,” he had said.
He also explained previously, “We already have a landfill financial assurance obligation of $1.2 million, but this being increased by 70 percent with this change.”
