Otter Lake Community Monitoring Committee

Petition

COMMUNITY URGES HRM Council TO HONOUR 1999 AGREEMENT RE OTTER LAKE WITH HALIFAX WASTE RESOURCES SOCIETY

The main function of the Community Monitoring Committee (CMC) is to serve as a watchdog for the communities to ensure that the Otter Lake Landfill facility operates in a manner that poses no threat to the well being and quiet enjoyment of the adjacent communities. CMC’s role was enabled by virtue of a legal agreement dated 1999 between The Halifax Waste Resources Society and Halifax Regional Municipality (HRM).

In agreeing to host the Otter Lake landfill facility, the adjoining communities were assured BY HRM Council that the experience at the former Sackville landfill site would not be repeated. This assurance came forward in the form of the agreement between the Halifax Waste Resources Society and Halifax Regional Municipality.

Recently, HRM Staff is recommending to HRM Council, a significant and fundamental change to the operation at Otter Lake landfill by removing two processes that ensure only acceptable waste is deposited in the landfill. These processes ensure that any putrefying waste deposited at the landfill goes through a biostabilization process to reduce environmental impacts and deter odour and the presence of rodents, birds and other scavengers. Historically, the odour and rodent/bird/ scavenger issue was a significant problem for communities adjacent to the former Sackville landfill site.

Please sign this petition so that these protective measures for our communities remain in place the Otter Lake Landfill. This item is coming to HRM Council in July 2021.