Letter: Moore says Carp landfill work should be election issue

To the Editor,

As of Oct. 3, work has begun on the Carp Road widening required for the new entrance to the Carp Road Landfill. Once the road access is complete work on the new landfill can begin with the removal of trees, wetlands, buildings, and soil.

During the municipal election campaign there has been little discussion of this major development on the outskirts of Stittsville and how it might impact quality of life for the surrounding communities.

There has been much discussion about walkable neighbourhoods, cycling networks, parks and greenspaces etc., but if the landfill gets out of control as it did back in the early 2000s, odours and truck traffic could impact the nature of life in Stittsville. For those who were not living in Stittsville back then, here is a description by a local resident from 2007 – “Less outdoor time. Less outdoor play for the children. Closed windows and more air conditioning. Less exercise. Fewer meals outdoors. I’m hesitant to invite guests over in case it smells.”

Let us hope that the landfill operator and the Ontario Ministry of Environment live up to their commitment that the site will be operated in a safe and environmentally sound manner and that the impacts on the surrounding communities are kept to a minimum. Because as was seen in the past, if the landfill gets out of control it can take several years before it can be corrected.

As the development progresses you should be able to get updates from the local city councillor as they sit on the Public Liaison Committee (PLC) for the landfill that meets with the landfill operator to discuss developments at the site. Unfortunately, the PLC has not met since March 2017. Hopefully now that development work has started, they will meet more often.

Harold Moore,
Carp