By Chad Ingram
Published Oct. 19 2017
The Scotch Line landfill in Minden Hills will have a deficit of approximately $110000 for 2017.
According to a staff report the overrun is due to various factors including lower-than-anticipated tipping fees and recycling revenue and unbudgeted remediation costs.
Earlier this year the Ministry of Environment and Climate Change issued an order for remediation work at the landfill site due to the amount of leachate on the property as well as the size of the construction and demolition pile at the site.
Some $70000 of unbudgeted remediation work was completed this year and about $7500 spent on associated consultant fees.
A report from environmental and property operations manager Ivan Ingram shows that as of the end of August tipping fees at the landfill are down significantly from last year at about $157000 versus approximately $223000 in 2016 a difference of some $66000. According to the report bulldozing costs were $35000 over budget and the township saw reduced recycling revenues.
“Tipping fees are way down this year” Ingram told Minden Hills councillors during an Oct. 12 committee-of-the-whole meeting.
“I’m perplexed” said Reeve Brent Devolin noting to him there was not a noticeable drop in the amount of construction and demolition waste at the landfill. “Explain why. I don’t get it.”
Ingram stressed the construction and demolition pile at the landfill had been accumulating for five years and said that some construction and demolition waste is being burned rather than dumped to avoid the payment of tipping fees.
He also said that some construction companies are taking waste to other sites where tipping fees are less.
“I’m not saying these fees won’t go up” Ingram said. “It’s a crap shoot when you guesstimate. It’s the building and the economy really.”
Ingram’s report showed a drop in the number of building permits in the township. At the end of August 2016 there had been 515 building permits issued for year while for 2017 there had been 314 permits issued as of the end of August.
The money to cover the deficit is to be drawn from reserves.
