Wessuc Inc.Wessuc Inc.
Sarnia

City asks province to increase enforcement at waste transfer site

The City of Sarnia wants the province to increase its enforcement action against the company operating the Sarnia waste transfer site.

In a letter to the Ministry of the Environment, Conservation and Parks (MECP) District Manager Sean Morrison, Engineering and Operations General Manager David Jackson called the odours from the site off Scott Road "unacceptable."

"The City of Sarnia started receiving odour complaints from residents on April 13, 2022," Jackson said. "We have received a significant number of complaints since that time and continue to receive complaints now. Complaints have been received over three kilometers from the site that covers a large portion of the residential area of the city, including the downtown."

Jackson said Wessuc Inc., which recently started operating the site owned by Shire Corporation, submitted an odour reduction strategy to MECP in early May which identified several strategies to reduce the smell.

"The strategy identified several measures that ranged in implementation time from one to six weeks. We are now past the six-week timeline, and it does not appear that the mitigation measures have had any positive impact on odour reduction," he said. "We continue to receive widespread complaints everyday there is a south wind."

Jackson said the company has not provided a definitive solution to mitigate the odours.

"The odour is unacceptable to our residents. It is having a significant negative impact on people’s quality of life and the community has lost its patience with the odour issues."

Jackson said the city is requesting MECP take stronger enforcement action against the company to get the issue under control as soon as possible.

Wessuc issued a letter to Sarnia residents earlier this month, apologizing for the four odours.

The Brantford Company said 11,000 m3 of material stored in the lagoon had been removed and the lagoon surface was covered with an odour-absorbing material.

Wessuc also said the lagoon was treated with an organic deodorizing solution and two air monitoring stations had been installed.

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