Lake Simcoe/ Orillia leachate warning

[kickingfrog]

http://www.thebarrieexaminer.com/ArticleDi....aspx?e=2300000

 

 

 

City gets stern leachate warning

Posted By NATHAN TAYLOR, QMI AGENCY

Posted 8:00am Feb 1, 2010

 

The city must address the "significant leachate" that's making its way into Lake Simcoe from the Kitchener Street landfill, a report from the Ministry of the Environment states.

 

The ministry inspected the site twice last August and found high levels of phosphorous in the lake "at several sampling points."

 

The city has its own water-monitoring program, and nothing alerted staff to a problem. That's why the ministry's findings came as "a bit of a surprise," said public works director Peter Dance.

 

"The first next step is to really understand what all the recommendations are," he said.

 

To do so, staff will meet with ministry officials this month.

 

Should the city have to alter its operations and install wells or a liner system to capture the leachate, Dance said it could cost between $1 million and $2 million.

 

He also noted drinking water is not a concern right now.

 

"None of what (the ministry) has come up with have been 'the dam broke' kind of comments. They're saying let's look at this," he said.

 

While he stressed the city is not at odds with the ministry, Dance believes the science behind the ministry's findings needs to be verified.

 

Coun. Ralph Cipolla, whose ward includes the landfill, said council would be wise to get as involved as possible with the process.

 

"This has some huge implications for a valuable resource that we have," he said. "We, on council, need to roll up our sleeves and work with the MOE and staff because this could have catastrophic implications for our landfill."

 

 

While he has faith in the "excellent staff " at the city, Cipolla said council "cannot sit back and watch the world go by."

 

"We have to get involved. We're ultimately the people who are responsible for it," he said.

 

The geese and cormorants that frequent the site could be partly to blame, too, he said.

 

"If that is the problem, that has to be solved," he said, adding he's been saying for five years the cormorants have been "causing havoc in our lakes," on the fish population and on Ship's Island. "They devastated the whole island."

 

The ministry also referenced an earlier consultant's report that noted the city used the landfill to dump collected snow, which often contains salt.

 

But Dance said that would likely have little impact on the site.

 

Article ID# 2300000

[Rob]

Well I think it has always been the biggest mistake there by putting a landfill site right beside the lake. Only in Orillia!

 

See

and it will explain everything about Orillia!

 

 

Rob C

[irishfield]

Not only Orillia.. use to be the norm. Every town along the Rideau River had their dump right beside it in a boggy area. Smiths Falls' was right IN town by Old Sly's locks/rapids. It's now a park and soccer field..

[Sinker]

Every landfill will eventually get into water of some sort. The only reason any of this made the news is probably because of the lake simcoe assessments that are going on. Without monitoring these things, nobody will ever know what is going on in the lakes.

 

Next question is what are they going to do about it?? My bet is on not much.

 

S.