By MorinvilleNews.com Staff
Sturgeon County – County Council gave second and third reading to a bylaw to rezone the Roseridge Landfill to Specific Development Control District Ten, a move necessary to meet Alberta Environment licensing requirements.
The County’s Land Usage Bylaw does not make provision for the operation of a waste management facility on lands designated Intermunicipal Fringe A, a situation necessitating the change in designation. The re-designation would help ensure the landfill is compliant with Alberta Environment when the County prepares to renew the permits for the landfill, set to expire in June of 2012.
The facility, located 1.5 kilometres east of Morinville, currently carries a Class II landfill designation, permitting it to be used for the disposal of secure, non-hazardous waste. The now passed bylaw’s permitted uses include the landfill serving as a Class II landfill and Class II compost facility, recycling centre and hazardous waste collection centre.
Council held a public hearing on the rezoning during which the majority of resident were related to the need to rezone the landfill after so many years. At the hearing one resident expressed concern regarding possible encroachment on neighbouring landowner’s property. Sturgeon County has said it has no plans to purchase additional land at this time to expand the landfill; therefore encroachment would not be an issue.
Mayor Don Rigney took exception to the requirement to rezone the landfill on principle. “I find it objectionable and odious,” Mayor Rigney said, adding although he fully supported the landfill and environmental requirements, he was opposed to what he saw as the impediment to County Council’s independence. “We find ourselves as puppets and I find that objectionable. And I’d like to have that conveyed to Alberta Environment.”
Mayor Rigney cast the only opposing vote during second reading of the bylaw, exercising his right to cast a negative vote as a form of protest; however, Rigney joined the rest of the council to give the rezoning unanimous third reading.
County council had previously given first reading to the rezoning bylaw Nov. 20, 2010.
The regional landfill services the towns of Morinville, Bon Accord, Gibbons, Legal, and Redwater in addition to Sturgeon County itself and sits on 120 acres of provincially owned land and 105 acres of land owned by the Roseridge Waste Management Services Commission. The provincially owned land is on a long-term lease to Sturgeon County.
