Channel-Port aux Basques Landfill Site Now Open

Successful implementation of the Provincial Solid Waste Management Strategy continues with the opening of a new landfill in Channel-Port aux Basques on April 30. This brings the number of small dumps closed in the Western Waste Management Region since the fall of 2011 to a total of 10.

“Throughout our province we are continuing to see progress being made in advancing waste management,” said the Honourable Kevin O’Brien, Minister of Municipal Affairs. “Approximately two-thirds of the province’s population is now disposing of waste in one of two lined landfills with leachate collection and almost 50 per cent of the population has access to recycling facilities.”

As a result of the new site opening in Channel-Port aux Basques, the site’s incinerator will be dismantled and the South Branch, Rose Blanche and Codroy landfills will be closed and decommissioned. The Channel-Port aux Basques landfill will be used until a final site for waste in the western region is identified.

The Provincial Government invested a total of over $950,000 to acquire compactor trucks for regionalized curbside waste collections and to do site upgrades to the Channel-Port aux Basques site.

“More and more, we are seeing our waste management goals moving forward, as the people of our province are provided with opportunities to dispose of waste in a more environmentally-sound manner,” said the Honourable Terry French, Minister of Environment and Conservation. “I am delighted with the consolidation of the smaller landfills in the area and the shutdown of another incinerator, and I applaud the committee’s efforts.”

Communities serviced by the Channel-Port aux Basques landfill can bring their waste to the site between 9:00 a.m. and 5:00 p.m. Monday to Saturday at no charge for residential users. Household hazardous waste brought to the site must be separated from regular waste.

“We are pleased that progress is continuing in the consolidation of smaller landfills in western Newfoundland with the closure of three more waste sites in the southwest coast area,” said Dr. Don Downer, Chair of the Western Regional Waste Management Committee. “Port aux Basques, as the largest community in the sub-region, is to be congratulated for assuming a leadership role in not only upgrading and running its town waste site as a sub-regional site but also in offering curbside waste collections throughout.”

The Town of Channel-Port aux Basques will be the administrator of the new site on behalf of the communities in the area.

“Much progress has been made in our area in a short period of time, thanks to the cooperation of our small communities and the Town of Channel-Port aux Basques,” said Bonnie Muise, Chair of the Southwest Coast Sub-Regional Waste Management Committee. “We are hoping that with the support of all residents of the south west coast, we will continue to move forward and meet the Provincial Government’s waste management goals.”

The goals of the Provincial Solid Waste Management Strategy are to reduce the amount of materials in provincial landfill sites by 50 per cent, reduce the total number of waste disposal sites by 80 per cent, eliminate open burning of waste at disposal sites and phase-out incinerators, phase out unlined landfills, and encourage residents of Newfoundland and Labrador to participate in waste diversion programs such as recycling and composting. Full implementation of the strategy is scheduled for 2020 with $145.3 million invested to date.

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2012 05 24                         10:20 a.m.