The Reminder is making its archives back to 2003 available on our website. Please note that, due to technical limitations, archive articles are presented without the usual formatting.
Jonathon Naylor Editor The Manitoba government says it will not force the City of Flin Flon to use a regional landfill. City council has expressed concerns over perceived pressure from the province to move towards a regional dump, possibly in The Pas, if a study finds the local landfill has run its course. 'The decision is up to the municipality,' said a provincial spokesperson when asked if Flin Flon could refuse a regional landfill. While there are no confirmed plans for a regional landfill in the Flin Flon-The Pas area, the spokesperson said the province 'supports the development of local partnerships to look at the development of regional solid waste planning systems.' 'It would be up to the communities in the region to determine what would work best to meet the needs of area residents and municipalities,' the spokesperson said. 'This could include looking at developing transfer facilities or implementing new waste-reduction measures to divert materials from landfills by improving recycling services, which further reduces costs.' The spokesperson said communities across the continent 'have been forming solid-waste planning and service partnerships at a regional level.' 'This helps communities ensure they're able to meet standards for the design, construction and operation of facilities, share costs, risks and liabilities and take advantage of economies of scale,' the spokesperson said. Though the city will ultimately decide where its garbage goes, a regional model may prove the most feasible option when the time comes to shut down the present dump. Suitable locations Council would have to determine if there are suitable locations for a new local landfill, and whether the costs of developing one would make sense compared to a regional dump. The city was recently told by the province to commission a study of its present landfill that, among other things, will determine the remaining lifespan. At recent council meetings, Mayor George Fontaine has mentioned the province's interest in having Flin Flon's garbage go to a regional landfill in The Pas. While he mentioned no specific estimate, he said transferring the city's garbage south would be 'totally unaffordable.' Mayor Fontaine said the province is 'pushing towards regionalization' of landfills, 'which makes sense in some places that are a little closer together than us (and) The Pas.' Since the local terrain is not 'particularly conducive' to meeting regulations for a new landfill, he said, The Pas would make more sense as the location of a regional sump. Under such a scenario, Mayor Fontaine said, Flin Flon would have a garbage 'transfer station' from which trash would be shipped south. Though Municipal Administrator Mark Kolt said there is no legal requirement for a regional landfill, at least as of now, Coun. Bill Hanson felt the perceived pressure from the government was its 'way of saying, 'This is the way it's going to go.''
