Waste Management trashes plan to accept Quebec debris

The waste facility on Carp Road has trashed plans to take construction and demolition debris from western Quebec.

Wayne French, the director of public affairs for Waste Management, wrote to the city on Monday saying the company won’t include western Quebec communities as part of the service area for the West Carleton Environmental Centre.

French told the Citizen that the company decided “it was the right thing to do.”

The company will take steps to reverse a recently won provincial approval to take Quebec debris.

Earlier this month, the Ontario Ministry of the Environment and Climate Change approved the company’s request to accept construction and demolition material from the Outaouais, AbitibiTémiscamingue and Laurentide areas.

The company had no immediate plans to begin taking debris from that region, but it wanted to have the approval in place to increase its competitive position.

The trucks would have likely travelled through the interprovincial truck corridor in Ottawa’s core.

The City of Ottawa filed paperwork with the Environment Review Tribunal last week asking for permission to appeal the province’s decision. Right away, Waste Management’s lawyer indicated the company would review its position.

The city believes the waste and recycling facility should only be receiving material from Ottawa and Lanark County.

There are several waste transfer and processing sites in Ottawa permitted to accept waste from outside of Ontario, according to the province.