MoE recommends changes to town dump

Ken Johnston
Editor

The Town of Rainy River learned Monday that they will need to make some major changes to it’s landfill site.
Env. Officer Drew Stajkowski, inspected the site and told council Monday night that they need to provide MoE with an operational plan as to how the town plans to bring the landfill up to snuff.
At present the existing Certificate of Approval for Waste Disposal is out of date.
However, rather than making the town reapply for a new certificate, he recommended that they make some changes to the site.
Current standards require a 100 metre buffer zone around the site. At present the site has 30 m at best along the east side from Hwy. 600.
He said they could begin turning the dump site to the west and meet that requirement as they have lots of property there.
He made some other suggestions including educating the public that the landfill is an asset to the community. “People need to learn to sort and dump properly,” he said.
He noted a new site could cost the town $1 million, so rather than looking at replacing the existing site, look at doing things differently.
Council agreed to instruct Town Clerk Veldron Vogan to work on an operational plan and to begin tidying the site up.
Other business
•Council gave first reading to a lengthy dog bylaw that has “more teeth” in it and would allow an animal enforcement officer to lay charges under the provincial offenses act. If passed in the current form it would see pet owners not allowed more than two dogs per dwelling unless they were a business such as a groomer or vet. The bylaw was tabled until the next meeting.
•Council learned that three young offenders had been apprehended by the police in connection to several break-ins and vandalism to town property. Council was asked by the OPP if they wanted charges laid or if Diversion should be used. Diversion would see the OPP work with the injured party (s) and the offenders to work out a settlement outside of court. Council held a special committee meeting after council to decide which route to take.
Councillor Brent Anderson was leaning away from Diversion if it ment the offenders would get off scott-free.
No decision was available at press time.
•Council agreed to sell the old dust collector from the former Koeneman Lumber Co. to Werner Reimund for $100.00. Reimund will remove the said collector from Kreger Sales Property and assume all liability for it.
•Frank Berg was hired temporarily as Chief Building Official until the option of hiring services from Pwi-Di-Goo-Zing-Ne-Yaa-Zhing can be explored.