Angry crowd boos Carp landfill expansion plans

Loud booing and angry words marked a meeting where more than 1,100 residents crammed into a Stittsville school gym Wednesday night to fight the proposed Carp landfill expansion.

"Sir, with respect, your site smells, we don't want your dump," shouted one irate resident. "With respect, if you can't manage your site at its current size why should we trust you when it's three times bigger?"

Waste Management of Canada Corp., the company that owns the site, proposes to more than double the landfill's size, and held the public consultation as part of a proposal process.

Residents filled the gym at the cole elementaire catholique Jean-Paul II by 6 p.m.

Michael Walters, senior district manager for Waste Management of Canada Corp., endured almost two hours of heckling and booing.

"We have every intention of continuing operation for at least the next 25 years," said Walters, who was then cut off by loud booing.

Residents complained of the smell, the size and the eyesore caused by what they call "Mount Trashmore."

While Waste Management took most of the heat, city council's leadership also came under attack.

"Waste Management is just being Waste Management. This is a failure of our city, our municipal, and our provincial politicians," said Kevin Seguin, a resident who lives three kilometres from the landfill, to a cheering room.

He questioned the format of the meeting, and blamed politicians for not stepping up.

"I was expecting to come here and have our politicians to give us some type of forum to help us give them information on how we want the community run," he said after the forum.

"Instead, they've brought their army of experts to try and sell us on liking the idea of having this dump in our backyard. I'm absolutely shocked."

Others aimed questions directly at Goulbourn Councillor Janet Stavinga, who was present at the meeting.

"I can't even bring my son outside sometimes because it's so smelly out there," said Danelda Ploe, a Stittsville high school teacher. "Mrs. Stavinga, are you going to advocate for the rezoning of the area around the dump so that they can't expand?" she asked, gathering enthusiastic cheers.