Lax bylaw could allow polluted fill on Scugog lands
by Blake Wolfe/The Scugog Standard

When it comes to more closely regulating local sites for fill dumping, Scugog Township has been “slow off the mark” when compared to other municipalities, said Mayor Marilyn Pearce.
And with major projects such as expansions to Hwy. 407 and TTC subway lines set to break ground across the GTA, the ripple could be felt north of the ridges as truckloads of fill are transported to rural areas, cautioned the mayor.

Council and staff recently discussed a proposed bylaw that, among other requirements, would see requests for fill permits in excess of 500 cubic metres subject to council approval and would place more restrictions on dump sites within the Oak Ridges Moraine and Greenbelt areas, while requiring more detail about the content of the fill and its potential impact on the site.

According to a staff report, the proposed bylaw is the result of an increase in fill sites - and subsequent dust, noise and traffic complaints from residents - within Scugog’s borders, attributed to strict fill bylaws of neighbouring municipalities such as Whitby, Pickering and Uxbridge, the latter of which provided the template for Scugog’s proposed legislation.

Responding to councillor inquiries, planning and public works commissioner Gene Chartier said that dumping fees charged by the township in the new bylaw would cover additional contracted enforcement services, adding that enforcement of the bylaw could be “a challenge” for staff.

Some residents have expressed concerns that sites in Scugog and the Township of Uxbridge may already be taking “questionable” fill at their sites.

Mayor Pearce expressed concerns in an interview with The Standard that the Province is not taking responsibility for the protection of Oak Ridges Moraine lands where fill could be dumped.

“I have a real concern that the Province has saved the Oak Ridges Moraine just to see it turned into the fill site for the GTA,” Mayor Pearce said. “This is a multi-jurisdictional problem that requires a solution quickly.”

The bylaw is expected to return before councillors later this month but the fate of fill already dumped in sites that does not meet bylaw requirements is unclear.

With files from Rik Davie