The clock is ticking for the City of Hamilton to find another place to dispose of the remaining 392 loads of waste dredged from Chedoke Creek before the end of the year.
The city had planned to dispose of nearly 16,000 tonnes of contaminated sediment at GFL’s landfill in Stoney Creek in order to meet the province’s Dec. 31 deadline for the cleanup project.
It expected to dump 400 loads, but after only eight loads, GFL stopped accepting the material when the Ministry of the Environment, Conservation and Parks (MECP) brought up concerns.
Ultimately, there was a “misunderstanding around the classification of the waste” between the ministry and the cleanup project team.
READ MORE: City of Hamilton granted 1 month extension for Chedoke Creek dredging
“The Stoney Creek Regional Facility landfill’s approval prohibits the disposal of sewage waste, but permits the disposal of contaminated soils,” a spokesperson for MECP wrote in an email to CHCH News.
“The ministry informed GFL and the city that material from the Chedoke Creek Remediation project may contain sewage material.”
GFL then decided to reject further loads of dredged material.
The province demanded the cleanup after 24 billion litres of sewage leaked into the creek between 2014 and 2018.
READ MORE: City of Hamilton pleads guilty to charges over Chedoke Creek sewage spill
The city hired Milestone Environmental Contracting Inc. to complete the targeted dredging of Chedoke Creek.
The $10.4-million project wrapped up on Nov. 17, however, it was supposed to be finished by the end of last year.
The initiative was delayed after members of the Haudenosaunee Development Institute interrupted the work site, saying they were exercising treaty rights.
GFL has not replied to CHCH News’ request for comment since the publishing of this post.
READ MORE: Dredging at Chedoke Creek paused after Haudenosaunee Confederacy interruption
