Waste Management Modernized in Western Labrador

Waste management activities in Western Labrador will be improved significantly with the opening of the Labrador West Regional Landfill Site. The Honorable Kevin O’Brien, Minister of Municipal Affairs, and the Honourable Nick McGrath, Minister Responsible for Labrador Affairs and MHA for Labrador West, cut the ribbon on the new site today, which represents an investment of $6 million by the Provincial Government.

“I am pleased to be here in Labrador West today, to celebrate the opening of this fantastic new facility, which is a cooperative effort between the towns of Labrador City and Wabush ” said Minister O’Brien. “With the opening of this $6 million facility, the people of this region will have access to a diverse array of waste management tools including landfill disposal, hazardous waste disposal and material separation with the potential for recycling services as well.”

The Labrador West Regional Landfill Site covers an area of 14 hectares and is designed to accept a number of streams of waste. A public drop off area, will allow the general public to bring waste to the site. In addition, the site includes areas for the separation of large bulk metals, appliances and discarded building materials, as well as hazardous waste. The facility also has space available for the establishment of a household recycling program.

“This is a great day for the people of Lab West, and represents the culmination of a tremendous amount of effort to bring the facility online,” said Minister McGrath. “With the opening of the waste site, we now have a long-term vision for waste management in Lab West, which is in line with the Provincial Solid Waste Management Strategy. This includes not only the disposal of waste in a modern landfill but also facilities for the disposal of hazardous material and the collection of scrap materials.”

The Provincial Solid Waste Management Strategy aims to reduce the amount of materials in provincial landfill sites by 50 per cent and to encourage residents of Newfoundland and Labrador to participate in waste diversion programs such as recycling and composting. Full implementation of the strategy is on target for 2020. A total of $145.3 million has been invested in the strategy in the province, $82.8 million by the Provincial Government and $62.5 million from Gas Tax funding.

“It is great to be here for the opening of this facility today, and to acknowledge the partnership between Labrador City and Wabush on this project,” said Peter Reccord, Deputy Mayor of Labrador City. “The Lab West facility will operate much like a regional facility and has the capacity to serve our people for years to come. We now have full access in Western Labrador to modern waste management which will deliver a full range of services to local residents.”

Additional information on the Provincial Waste Management Strategy is available at: www.gov.nl.ca/ma/waste_management/index.html.

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2013 06 27             2:30 p.m.