Hello,
My family and I began this petition because this issue is particularly close to us, but together we've got nearly 500 signatures online, and more on paper. Thank you, each and every one!
We are sad to report at this stage that the Municipality of the County of Annapolis proceeds with a design for a new waste transfer station in West Paradise that does not meet Nova Scotia Environment guidelines for the siting and operation of a waste transfer station, and they have not received formal approval from NSE. In fact, a long list of questions (see below) from the community about the new waste transfer station in West Paradise in Annapolis County remain ignored and unanswered. Despite this lack of transparency, community engagement, demonstrable fiscal and environmental due diligence, the Municipality has granted itself a building permit and work has begun on the new waste transfer station.
Extraneous truck traffic is unwelcome on rural route 201, which runs through farms and close to houses, and which sees plenty of pedestrian, bicycle and small farm equipment traffic. Moreover, it's concerning that Button Brook and the Annapolis River are under threat because of simple shortsightedness in the placement and design of this duplicate facility. A threat to fresh water is a threat to our livelihoods, and this particular threat is needless.
Most disappointing, however, is the failure of our local leaders to be diligent, open, fair, and sensible in the roles that have been entrusted to them. In residents' communications with them, the Municipality appears not to have realized that waste management is something we care about. You're helping to make it loud and clear that such issues can't be swept under the rug.
We plan to submit the petition at the next opportunity to the municipal council either at their meeting in just over a week or in some other public way. Our hope is that our signatures, from down the road and around the world, prove that local governments have the power to be an example in the eyes of the entire human community that must cultivate sustainable ways of living on our planet, beginning with local action.
Thanks again for your support, and please share the link as we make ourselves heard.
The Hubble Family
Residents' Unanswered Questions:
- What criteria were used to select the 4736 Highway 201 properties for the transfer station?
-
Were studies conducted specific to this site (e.g. feasibility studies, environmental assessment or impact studies, route & traffic studies, community impact studies) and written information provided to Council before the decision was made to purchase the land?
- What is the status of approval from NS Env, and permit from Dept of TIR?
- Why buy so much land? How will the additional acres be used?
- What other sites were considered? What studies were done for each site?
- How were impacts and budgets reported to Council and compared?
- Why were no vacant properties adjacent to or near Exit 19, 20 or 21 considered?
- What is the projected cost to build all components of the new station, including equipment? What is the anticipated operational budget? Will the Municipality operate the transfer station and debris landfill site in-house or contract it out?
- Explain the procurement process used and what contracts have resulted (including value)?
- Valley Waste had education programs and helped businesses to reduce waste. What are the operation costs for Annapolis provide these programs? Will it be done in-house, contracted or not done at all?
- What is the overall strategy & plan for managing all types of waste in an environmentally and fiscally responsible way in Annapolis County, since the County is no longer part of Valley Waste?
- What is the plan to update the County’s 2011 Planning and Development Strategy and By-laws?
- How will County residents be involved in those planning processes?
- Will the tax rate go up with the money being spent on waste collection, interest on loans, the new transfer facility and the ongoing legal fights or any potential damages awarded?
- Are all these costs included in the current budget?
- The Municipality received waste collection services from Valley Waste between April 1 and Aug 17, 2018. Where is the money in the budget to pay for these services, which are owed?
- Has Council budgeted to mitigate noise, smell, dust, litter, rats, birds etc.?
- The additional heavy traffic on 201 will cause extra wear and tear of the asphalt and gravel shoulders. How will this impact the County’s and province’s road budgets?
- Has the Dept of Transportation and Infrastructure Renewal completed an assessment of the access road and the impact on Hwy. 201?
- What impact will spring weight restrictions on the 201 have on the number of runs trucks have to make, since they can carry only 80% weight during these 2 months of the year? Has the impact on cost and additional traffic issues been considered? Can the transport trucks leaving the station even run during these months?
- Property values in the most affected areas will go down, residents will appeal their assessments and the County’s tax income will go down. Was this accounted for in the economic feasibility analysis?
- What is the target date for the site to begin operations?
- What services will be available?
- What days/hours will the site operate?
- What is the plan for shipping out residuals, recycling, and compost?
- How will the Municipality enforce and monitor that “no waste will remain on site overnight”? This seems a naïve promise from Council, as stated to residents by the Warden.
- How will household-sorted recyclable materials be processed, sorted, stored, transported and recycled? Or will they just go in a landfill?
- How will hazardous household waste, including lead-acid batteries, mercury containing bulbs, waste oil, unwanted paints and pesticides, etc., be transported, handled, sorted, stored and disposed of?
- How will household residuals be handled, stored and disposed of? Will waste from farms and businesses be processed at the site?
- How will the municipality meet NSE guidelines to protect the soil, groundwater and surface water from contamination?
- How will County residents be assured that waste from the transfer station isn’t diverted and buried in the existing debris dump, whether accidentally, inadvertently or otherwise (e.g. during storm events, power outages, strikes or closure/unavailability of the out-of-county landfill service)? What emergency plans are in place (e.g. fire, severe weather events)?
- What materials are currently in the existing debris dump? Has an audit been done? Are there metals, asphalt shingles, coal tar creosote-treated wood (containing known human carcinogens)? Are they adequately contained in properly-lined cells or will they need removal or costly site remediation to prevent environmental contamination?
- How has the County protected itself from potential responsibility & liability for problems due to materials placed in the site prior to the County’s acquisition?
- What routes will the trucks take? There is no service road or access ramp to the site from Highway 101. Did Council know this before buying the site?
- Will dedicated site accesses to 101 be built? How would this be funded?
- The 201 is used by tourists, runners, cyclists, walkers and for events like triathlons and marathons. It is part of a Bike NS route. Will sidewalks or bike lanes be built? Will shoulders be widened and paved? How would this be funded?
- How will impact on current road users be mitigated? E.g. crossing by farmers whose land is on both sides, by households that must cross to use mailboxes, by pedestrians and cyclists, by children playing near or crossing the road to get their school bus?
- Will speed limits be reduced and properly monitored? How will this impact policing budgets?