Denbigh landfill site not likely to improve, transfer station may be best plan

Craig Bakay | Dec 02, 2020

The future of the Denbigh dump is anything but rosy as outlined in a special (online) meeting of Addington Highlands Council held Tuesday morning.

The meeting was held to update Council on the status of the dump following a meeting Nov. 27 of the tech-oriented personnel who have been monitoring the site since its “temporary” closure in 2007.

Consultant Deirdre Johnson of Johnson Environmental said the main issues are iron, manganese, dissolved organic carbon and hardness.

“The sediments are quite saturated,” she said. “The iron gets close to the surface and oxidizes.

“Hydes Creek is showing an impact.”

MOEF compliance officer Craig Dobiech said despite all the work that’s been done at the site, including a leachate evaporation pond, there’s still an impact from the site.

“The Ministry’s not saying ‘you should not try for an expansion’ but the site is still seeing a lot of water and it’s going to be a big challenge,” Dobiech said.

Johnson said that essentially, the site is in a valley and water runs down off a hill to the landfill. There is no clay cap under the site like there is in Kaladar and as such, the water runs under the landfill.

“It wasn’t common to have a clay cap when the site was opened,” she said. “You can do things but you can’t prevent the water coming in.

“Taking everything out and putting in a clay cap isn’t a practical option.

“You could put lots of money into it and the fundamental problem would still be there.”

Eventually, like all Ontario landfills, the site will have to be capped and closed, Dobiech said.

“So, the likelihood of us being successful (in a reopening plan) is less than 50 per cent?” said Dep. Reeve Tony Fritsch. “It sounds like a pretty significant gamble.”

Roads and waste supervisor Brett Reavie suggested the site’s future might be a transfer station.

“A transfer station would be relatively minor to set up,” said Fritsch.

“The water situation is not going to go away,” said Reeve Henry Hogg. “And we’ve already spent a lot of money there.”

Dobiech said he’s expecting memos from his groundwater scientific personnel in the very near future, which he said he would forward along to the Township.

“It (a transfer station) is definitely an option,” he said. “I’m hoping the memos will initiate the path forward.

“The site is showing signs of impact (and) we’re going to need a plan.”