Landfill operators face environmental charges

Special to the Post

The Alberta government has laid charges against the Town of Whitecourt and Woodlands County, operators of the Whitecourt Regional Solid Waste Management Authority, for offences under the Environmental Protection and Enhancement Act.

Incident details

The Town of Whitecourt has been charged with 18 counts and the county has been charged with 12 counts under the act for contravening terms or conditions of their approval and for taking actions at the landfill that required amendments to their approval. The charges relate to events that occurred between Sept. 12 and Nov. 28, 2016.

The charges include: o Knowingly contravening a term or condition of an approval, contrary to section 227(d) of the Environmental Protection and Enhancement Act.

o Contravening a term or condition of an approval, contrary to section 227(e) of the Environmental Protection and Enhancement Act.

o Making a change to an activity, the manner in which it is carried on, or any machinery, equipment or process that is related to the carrying on of the activity unless an approval or an amendment to an approval authorizing the change is issued, contrary to section 67(1) of the Environmental Protection and Enhancement Act.

The first court appearance is set for Oct. 23 in Whitecourt Provincial Court.

Alberta Environment and Parks focuses on education, prevention and enforcement to ensure all Albertans continue to enjoy a clean and healthy environment. When individuals, companies, or municipalities fail to comply with environmental legislation, Environment and Parks has a range of options, depending on the offence, to ensure compliance.