Landfill proposal ping pong

The proposal for the Hylo regional landfill is starting to look more like a ping-pong match than a project application.

First, the Lac La Biche County files an application for a landfill at Hylo on May 12, 2010. Then, Alberta Environment requests more information, which the municipality provides, and then the government asks for more data.

“The ball is in the county’s court now,” Alberta Environment spokesperson Cara Tobin said.

Lac La Biche County spokesperson Shadia Am­­blie said a consultant has completed the drilling and is preparing the data to be sent the government’s way within a couple of weeks.

But as for exactly when — or if — an approval to operate a landfill in the Hylo will be coming, Alberta Environment was vague.

“It really depends. For example, if the application was submitted and deemed complete by our staff, then we probably issue an approval within a handful of months,” the spokesperson said. “If we require additional information, and to be honest in most cases we do require additional information, it’s because we want to make sure it’s as complete as possible. Then we can back and forth, and back and forth, as many times as it has to until we are satisfied that the information is complete.”

While it’s uncertain when or if the Hylo application will be approved, what is known is that our seven existing landfills won’t hold out for long so a solution needs to be found quickly.

“The fact is that this waste needs to be gathered from the other landfills that we have because they’re fast becoming full and we need to address that,” Mayor Peter Kirylchuk said. “It’s a priority for council to dispose of the waste.”