The deputy mayor of the Town of Essex hopes a plan to truck in garbage from cities like Toronto never sees the light of day.
Richard Meloche's motion to reject a proposal before the Essex Windsor Solid Waste Authority got support from Essex County Council this week.
The authority is waiting for a report on the cost-effectiveness of accepting garbage from jurisdictions outside Windsor-Essex. One estimate suggests it could raise $700,000 at a time when the authority is grappling with a budget shortfall of $672,350.
Meloche, who sat on a liaison committee when the landfill first opened, says politically, it should be a non-starter. "Residents in that area had a difficult time even accepting the fact they were going to take garbage from Windsor," he says, noting the committee reassured residents the landfill would never take garbage from outside the region.
He also believes it sends residents the wrong message about recycling. "You're asking me to recycle my garbage so that we can put less garbage in the landfill," says Meloche. "My reward is --we're going to bring in garbage from outside of the community, and put it in your backyard."
Amherstburg Mayor Aldo DiCarlo brought the suggestion to the authority at its last meeting.