Trash piles at Crane Mountain landfill set to grow higher

A proposal to pile trash up to 90 feet higher at Crane Mountain landfill to extend the life of the facility between Saint John and Grand Bay-Westfield, and save money, has been approved.

The Fundy Regional Service Commission's board of directors voted 5-2 in favour of the Crane Mountain Landfill Capacity Augmentation & Life Extension Project last week.

But some people remain concerned about increased odours and the potential contamination of wells.

The maximum approved height is now 117.5 metres above sea level, or 385 feet. That's up from the previous 90 metres above sea level, or 295 feet.

From ground level, that means trash will be piled about 47.5 metres high, or nearly 156 feet, said general manager Marc MacLeod.

"Where you can see it now," such as from Highway 7 northbound, "yes, it will be higher," taking on a pyramid shape, he said. "But where you can't see it now, you still won't be able to see the landfill," and the footprint won't change, he said.

"What we're looking to do is to utilize [the landfill] to its fullest potential and do it in the best, environmentally friendly manner that we can. And to us, it doesn't make sense to … destroy more virgin land to put garbage in. We think going higher is a better option."

The project is expected to extend the landfill's operational life by at least 22 years, to 2070, and save Fundy region taxpayers $22 million over that period by not having to build additional containment cells.

"We are taking a substantial step forward in ensuring a sustainable and cost-effective future for waste management in the Fundy Region," board chair Jim Bedford, mayor of Fundy-St. Martins, said in a statement.

"Through a rigorous, year-long [environmental impact assessment] process, we have assessed all aspects of this project and are confident it will bring significant benefits to our communities," he said.

Grand Bay-Westfield Mayor Brittany Merrifield voted against the move, based on the concerns of residents, but said she supports the commission's decision and feels her colleagues remain "very supportive of the struggles that we are facing in Grand Bay-Westfield" and in resolving them.

Odour is the main concern, she said. Although the stench has improved in the past year through various initiatives, such as flaring off additional methane, according to Merrifield, she doesn't want it to get worse again.

"That's not good for quality of life or economic development," one of her top priorities, she said.

"Anything that might cause someone to say, 'No, I don't want to settle here, I don't want to invest here,' is an issue."