Kings County C&D disposal site operator changes pleas

The operator of a waste transfer station and a construction and demolition debris disposal site charged following a fire at his North River Road property in March 2016 has changed his pleas to guilty on three counts.

In May 2017, owner Derrick Shaffer had pleaded not guilty to all charges against Shaffer Enterprises, the construction and demolition debris (C&D) disposal site, and a Nova Scotia numbered company, the waste transfer station that he operates with his wife Barbara. The matters were adjourned to Jan. 29 for trial.

Prior to the scheduled trial, Shaffer changed his pleas to guilty to two charges against Shaffer Enterprises: being responsible for burning designated material without written authorization and contravening a term of condition of an approval.

Shaffer also changed his plea to guilty to one count against the numbered company of contravening a term or condition of an approval.

A fire at the North River Road property that is the location of both the transfer station and the disposal site broke out on March 22, 2016, and burned for several days. The blaze led to Environment Canada issuing an air quality warning for Kings County. The Kentville Fire Department declared the blaze extinguished on March 27, 2016.

As the sentencing hearing began on Jan. 29, Crown prosecutor Robert Morrison called Department of Environment inspector Jacquelyn Burneau to testify. A sentencing report she prepared was entered as an exhibit.

Burneau said she had received a phone call from Shaffer on March 22, 2016, to advise her of the fire. The next morning, she received calls from Shaffer and the Kentville Fire Department requesting her presence at the facilities.

See C&D on page A2