Region of Waterloo looking for feedback with landfill liaison committee

A liaison committee established by the Region of Waterloo is looking to get feedback from residents on landfill operations.

The goal of the committee is to find operational concerns with the landfill that impact the area and to update the public and the Ministry of the Environment on the site. The committee was first established in 1993.

Tracy Annett, the senior engineer in waste management with the Region of Waterloo said all complaints and inquiries are kept in a database that is then shared with the committee and the Ministry of the Environment.

“The Region receives many types of inquiries, from general operating questions, development questions, to nuisance related, including as dust, litter, noise and odour, ” said Annett.

Annett added that third-party consultants will be brought in to examine compliance monitoring reports on groundwater, surface water and the air. The last meeting on February 6 had 13 in attendance, including staff.

The main complaint of odour coming from the landfill comes from garbage decomposition. Annett said odour can increase with the weather as well as excavation through waste when completing construction. It can spread to the Boardwalk and the Westvale area if winds come in from the west.

“The region reduces odours as much as possible by using different odour control products and covering the waste daily,” said Annett. “We’re constantly continuously improving the control of our landfill gas system… and expanding the environmental controls as well develop the site.”

The meetings are held every three months at 7 p.m. at the administration building of the landfill, located at 925 Erb St. West in Waterloo.

The next public meeting will be held on May 7. All members of the public are welcome to attend and no registration is required.