Landfill site off the table

Staff

A site that stirred an uproar among Nestor Falls residents and business owners no longer is being considered as a possible location for a new landfill there.
In a public notice posted on the Township of Sioux Narrows-Nestor Falls Township website, it was announced that site C7—situated on Peterson Road west of Highway 71—has been ruled out in the search for a site to serve as a joint landfill that would serve the area’s communities.
“As a result of additional information received through the Waste Management Study public consultation process, the project committee responsible for selecting potential sites for a new or expanded landfill has determined that Site C7 has significant constraints and is therefore not suitable for further consideration or detailed study,” the notice stated.
The site was identified earlier as one of two feasible locations where a joint landfill could be built for Sioux Narrows/Nestor Falls, Naotkamegwanning (Whitefish Bay) First Nation, Northwest Angle No. 37 (Regina Bay) First Nation, Northwest Angle No. 33 (Dog Paw) First Nation, and Ojibways of Onigaming (Sabaskong) First Nation.
The other identified potential site—C9—is adjacent to the existing landfill in Nestor Falls, which is located east of Highway 71 several kilometres south of the community.
As reported in the Sept. 1 edition of the Times, many Nestor Falls residents and business owners have been voicing their opposition to the C7 site, citing the potential environmental harm on the surrounding land and water, as well as the fallout it would cause for the local tourism industry.
Sioux Narrows-Nestor Falls Mayor Bill Thompson had stressed at the time that the township still was a long way away from a final decision on selecting a site, with research and studies still to be completed.
The deadline for this round of public input on the potential landfill sites now has been extended until Sept. 27.
Those wanting more information, including the studies that have been conducted throughout the selection process so far, or who want a copy of the questionnaire being used to gather input, can contact the township municipal office.