The committee recently elected a new executive board, with some returning members. Dave Johnson is still the chair of the committee, and after being away from the valley tending to a family emergency for most of the spring, he says he is back and ready to continue serving.
James Downey is now serving as first vice-president. Stephen Hilliard is second vice-president. Bernie Benoit is treasurer and Brenda Roberts is secretary.
The executive election was an internal one among the 19 active members of the board who are each appointed by the provincial minister of municipal affairs.
Mr. Johnson said the plans to set up a regional landfill for the entire southwest coast at the Port aux Basques incinerator site is not the best option available.
The proposed regional interim dump is supposed to serve the southwest coast until 2016, when a west coast “supersite” is set to open and accept all west coast garbage.
He said the committee is open to discussions with the provincial government and the West Coast Waste Management Committee to host the interim landfill somewhere in the Codroy Valley instead.
Community members rallied against hosting the interim site in Doyles, but Mr. Johnson said the committee has other potential sites far from bodies of water with lots of available fill.
“We have an unlimited supply of fill,” said Mr. Johnson. “We could operate for years.”
Mr. Johnson said the Port aux Basques site isn’t the best option because there isn’t enough fill to keep it going for six years. He said eventually, that dump will have to truck in fill at added expense to everyone using the facility.
Mr. Johnson said if the rest of the coastal communities buy into the Port aux Basques site, his committee wants to continue operating the Doyles dump site.
Members of the committee say they’re concerned that garbage, construction waste and white metals will end up in woods and ditches if people in the valley don’t have somewhere local to bring their waste.
“We want to keep [the Doyles dump] there,” said Mr. Johnson. “We were given every indication that we could keep it there.”
The committee is planning a series of public meetings in the summer to speak with valley residents about this issue.
Gilbert Smart, chair of the West Coast Waste Management Committee, said as far as he is concerned, the southwest coast’s regional site will be at the current Port aux Basques incinerator site, off the Trans-Canada Highway.
“There was a letter writing campaign that showed [Codroy Valley residents] didn’t want it in the valley. It was then decided to put it in Port aux Basques. The consultant recommended that it was going there, and it’s going there,” said Mr. Smart.
As for the Codroy Valley’s Waste Management Committee’s request to continue operating separately from the rest of the southwest coast, Mr. Smart said that is up to the provincial government.
“Myself and the government would hope they would use the site that has been recommended,” said Mr. Smart. “If they received a permit – I don’t think there’s any way they can be stopped now.
Mr. Johnson said the permit to operate the Doyles dumpsite is valid until the end of the year.
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