by PAUL RAYNER

The future is now for a new landfill site for Boissevain and Morton.

The two corporations are beginning the practical work of finding a new place for local residents to put their refuse, and they do not have an enormous amount of time. According to Boissevain Mayor Ed Anderson, the situation began in February 2008 when they received a letter from Environmental Operations Manitoba, which informed them about the status of the waste disposal site just south of Boissevain.

“We received the letter,” Anderson explained, “indicating that permanent reissuing of the permit to operate was denied. During the review of the file they noted that the location is not in compliance with their regulations.”

According to the letter, they are not in compliance with several waste disposal regulations, including having a dwelling within 400 meters of the site and a body of surface water within one kilometer. There were concerns that there would be ground water contamination.

The Province did give them a permit until October 2009, after which time, it will not be renewed.

“By that point, we would have to have new ground or find an alternative.”

After the letter, a committee was made of councilors of both the Town and RM. Anderson and Councillor Brian Maxwell represent Boissevain, while Reeve Bob McCallum and Councillor Brian Hammond do the same for Morton. The committee members did tours of other landfill sites to take a look at what others have to offer. Although a far from glamorous job, Anderson said he was impressed by one site.

“They have an excellent site in MacGregor,” the mayor stated. “It is well laid out, all the metal was put into separate shipping containers, where you can drive up and dump it in. They had a very strict management program there that was working well. It was a neat, clean place with specific areas for everything. The household garbage would go into pits that would last 8-9 years. The location was fine, about a mile east of MacGregor.”

There are different options available to the two corporations. One was the idea of a regional landfill site. Anderson said this was the thrust a few years ago, to close existing sites and have everything go to a regional site, like they do in North Dakota. He said no one has said yet that it will not happen, but there is also the concept of Boissevain and Morton working together in one sense filling that condition.

“When you are looking at Boissevain and Morton working together, in a small way that is a regional landfill site.”

There is the option of hauling garbage to another site, like Souris. However, Anderson said, they will only take household garbage. It would still leave trees, cement, metal and chemicals. So it is not a realistic option.

Basically, they are looking at a new site in the area. They have a few ideas, Anderson explained, but there is nothing definite yet. He admits that due to regulations, it will be a difficult search, but they would like it to be close by, within three miles of town.

“When we start analyzing sites,” he stated, “we want at least three or four to take to the environmental people. If you just take one, you will be fortunate to have it passed. I think the committee would like to have something like MacGregor, to duplicate something like that.”

Right now, the committee is looking for consultants/engineers to find a projected cost for a new site. At present, there is no idea how much it will be, but Anderson said Morton and Boissevain are in it together and there may be some infrastructure money to apply for as well.

Anderson gives a great deal of praise to the volunteers of the local recycling project for their continued contribution to relieving the pressure on the present landfill site.

“The have definitely contributed a lot,” Anderson said. “They have been our savior, and will continue to be. Without them, this might have happened earlier.”

The mayor admits there is not much time, but they are committed to getting a solution in time.

“The time frame we have is tight,” he said. “We heard in February 2008, so we have done our homework, but we are a long ways from seeing a new site up and running. We have been talking about it for years, but they kept issuing permits. Now we have to get it done.”