![Michelle Shannon and John Weber are thankful Safety Kleen, Aevitas and Waste Management chipped in to remove 24 barrels of hazardous materials illegally dumped at their sugar bush near Conestogo.[Scott Barber / The Observer]](https://www.observerxtra.com/content/images/wp-content/uploads/2015/07/post_waste1.jpg)
Kitchener-Conestoga MPP Michael Harris is calling for changes at the Ministry of the Environment following the illegal dumping of toxic waste at sugar bush near Conestogo this spring.
Harris joined property owners Michelle Shannon and John Weber at their farm on Weeby Place Thursday morning while cleanup crews worked to remove the last few loads of affected soil.
“It’s thanks to the good work of the (Ontario Waste Management Association), Safety Kleen, Aevitas and Waste Management that this unfortunate situation was able to be handled and resolved,” Harris said, noting that since public authorities refused to help with the cleanup, it was a number of private companies who stepped in to help, free of charge. “The fact that property owners who are victims of illegal dumping, like Michelle Shannon and John Weber, are often further victimized by a system that often points to the property owners’ responsibility for removal.”
Had the dumping taken place on a public road, the region or the municipality would have to take care of the mess, but since it was dumped surreptitiously on a family farm, the homeowners needed to go into their own pockets – the total bill for the cleanup is estimated to exceed $40,000 – and that’s not fair, he added.
On May 27 Shannon and Weber discovered 24 old, rusty barrels at the entrance to their sugar bush. Disturbed, Shannon quickly called the Region of Waterloo, Woolwich Township, the Ministry of the Environment and Waterloo Regional Police and was told by each group that it would be her responsibility – and expense – to remove the waste. The issue was further complicated after testing revealed the barrels contained toxic PCBs (polychlorinated bipheny) along with oily water, waste grease and acid powder.
![Rob Cook (Ontario Waste Management Association), Byron Day (Aevitas), John Weber, Michelle Shannon, Michael Harris (Kitchener-Conestoga MPP), Luiza Adsett (Waste Management) and Ed Glavina (Safety Kleen). [Scott Barber / The Observer]](https://www.observerxtra.com/content/images/wp-content/uploads/2015/07/post_waste2.jpg)
Fortunately for Shannon and Weber, Safety Kleen, Aevitas and Waste Management all offered to help dispose of the waste at their own expense.
Weber and Shannon took the opportunity Thursday to thank representatives from each company.
“We are so grateful for the help and support you all have provided us,” Shannon said.
According to the Ministry of the Environment, an investigation into the matter is ongoing.
But for Harris, more needs to be done by the provincial government to protect homeowners.
“No system will ever be perfect, but you want to ensure that it works to both prevent future incidents through significant penalties and supports victims of illegal dumping so that they are not further victimized,” he said. “Thankfully, the private sector thoroughly answered the bell in this case, but I think we have to work moving forward to prevent these situations from occurring in the first place and being at the ready to respond and support property owners when they do occur.”
To that end, he sent a letter this week urging Minister of the Environment Glen Murray to “review Ms. Shannon’s situation immediately and respond directly as to the penalties you are able, and plan, to pursue to levy against the perpetrators, and provide a list detailing ministry tools and resources available to respond to and assist victims of illegal toxic waste dumping in Ontario.”
