McCloskey fined for unapproved waste disposal site

McCloskey International Ltd. has been fined for operating a waste disposal site east of the city without an environmental compliance approval (ECA) in November 2016.

The company was convicted May 17 in Ontario Court of Justice in Peterborough under the Environmental Protection Act and was fined $7,500 plus a $1,875 Victim Fine Surcharge.

An ECA must be obtained from the Ministry of the Environment and Climate Change for a waste management system or the operation of a waste disposal site.

McCloskey International, which operates a facility in Otonabee-South Monaghan Township, did not have proper approval and, after a public complaint, ministry staff investigated at the facility.

Ministry officers found a burn pit containing a smouldering mixture of garbage including carpet, drywall, plastics, metal debris and household waste.

McCloskey International was issued an order on Dec. 1, 2016 by the ministry to remove the waste from the site and revert the damage that had been done to the soil by the burning waste.

The ministry then conducted a follow-up investigation in January 2017 to guarantee that the waste had been properly removed. During this secondary visit, officers learned that more than 500 tonnes of waste had been removed from the burn pit on-site, at a cost of about $50,000.

Petroleum spill

A gas station in Colborne in Northumberland County has been fined for a petroleum spill that happened May 25, 2016.

2456899 Ontario Inc. was convicted May 17 in Ontario Court of Justice in Peterborough and fined $1,000 plus a victim surcharge of $125 for failing to properly clean up the spill after being ordered to.