Dumping Calgary’s garbage in Blackie’s backyard simply is not fair to residents of the MD of Foothills.
True, until technology develops a better solution landfills are a necessary evil, but it does not mean inexpensive land prices should dictate the locations of these dumping grounds.
On June 8 BFI Canada unveiled a concept plan at an open house at Blackie School for a proposed landfill on more than 900 acres, which would include a compost area, a recycling centre and a dump for waste that cannot be recycled or reused.
At the open house representatives of BFI Canada put their best spin on the proposal saying it would include an education centre with a classroom and research facility to raise awareness about waste reduction, an area to commemorate the site of the former Wilderman School, and a plan to protect an 15-acre area of unbroken native grassland.
However, as one resident stated at the meeting you can put lipstick on a pig and it is still a pig.
The vast majority of residents who attended the open house voiced their opposition to the proposal and they were not buying what BFI was selling.
BFI Canada certainly knew a landfill would be a tough sell no matter where they proposed to develop the facility.
As a result, they tried to put the best shine on the proposal as possible saying 68 per cent of what the company collects is non-hazardous soils and it would not be accepting household garbage.
However, this statement is misleading because a great deal of the waste delivered to the proposed landfill would be from BFI contracts using the their trademark blue bins. This means the garbage would be coming from commercial and industrial businesses. Is the waste from a commercial or industrial operation any more desirable than what comes from a single family home? Is potentially toxic chemicals or waste materials from manufacturing any better than dirty diapers and mouldy bread?
Regardless, the BFI Canada project near Blackie would include household garbage, but not just typical household garbage. According to representatives from BFI Canada garbage from multi-family developments such as apartment buildings and condominiums would be dumped at the landfill. Therefore, household garbage would indeed be dumped at the proposed landfill.
BFI Canada could well need additional space to accommodate its customers in southern Alberta, but the bulk of its customers are likely in Calgary and that is where the new landfill should be located.
The reason BFI Canada is looking at land near Blackie is the cost to purchase 900 acres in the rural area of the MD of Foothills is significantly cheaper than anything near Calgary.
However, farmers and acreage owners in the Blackie area should not be forced to accept the city’s garbage just because of the value of real estate.
A landfill should be directed to areas already designated as industrial and there is land available in the MD of Foothills along the Highway 2A industrial corridor. Or perhaps there would be land available on the east side of Calgary or in Rocky View County in Shepard or Balzac.
Regardless, the cost of purchasing land in those areas would be substantially higher, but that is BFI Canada’s issue and should not be Blackie’s.
