Sludge Watch ==> 'We move mountains' - Residents applaud Abitibi decision to remove Pelham sludge

[Maureen Reilly]

'We move mountains'; Residents applaud decision by Abitibi to remove berm 
from Fenwick property
Posted By MATTHEW VAN DONGEN
Posted 7 hours ago
About 36,000 tonnes of paper-waste sludge piled in Fenwick are about to 
disappear.

It's quite the magic trick.

And neighbours of the "sludge mountain" at 325 Church St. found out Thursday 
night they're the magicians.

"We move mountains," a jubilant Carolyn Botari said soon after being told 
the Thorold paper recycler who piled the sludge in a berm near her home two 
years ago will take it back, starting as early as Monday.

"We had two goals, right from the start," added grinning neighbour Lynda 
Kis.

"One was to stop these berms from being built anywhere in Ontario. The other 
was to get rid of this one."

They'll get their wish after Abitibi Consolidated and the berm landowner 
agreed to truck the controversial waste material back to the Thorold 
recycling plant it came from.

The provincial Ministry of the Environment will monitor the planned removal 
of 3,200 tonnes a day, which should empty the Fenwick property by April 30, 
weather permitting.

The berm sludge is officially called paper-fibre biosolids, the waste left 
over after paper recycling.

Abitibi paid a contractor in June of 2006 to build the berm, which the 
landowner planned to use as a barrier to railroad noise.

But the pile enraged neighbours who abhorred the stench and feared 
contaminated runoff would pollute local groundwater and wells.

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Abitibi maintained that properly covered with soil, the material was inert 
and safe.

MOE testing eventually showed runoff was toxic to the environment.

Subsequent owners of the property failed to cover the berm or permanently 
stop contaminated water from leaving the site, despite repeated ministry 
orders and an ongoing investigation.

Residents' anger overflowed, too, because an Environmental Protection Act 
exemption allows the berm building to go unregulated by the MOE.

(Similar berms have sparked outrage across Ontario, from Oshawa to Orillia.)

The ministry will monitor the move to Thorold "very carefully," local MOE 
district manager Rich Vickers said.

"Our role is to make sure it goes smoothly, to avoid the issues that 
surrounded the construction of the berm," he said.

Residents constantly complained about odour and escaping runoff, said 
Vickers, who estimated ministry staff inspected the site at least 70 times.

Cold weather, combined with a ministry-approved plan to keep the work area 
small, should keep odours to a minimum, Vickers said.

The berm will be rebuilt near Abitibi's existing landfill, which has sewage 
treatment capacity for any runoff.

"We're pleased Abitibi and the landowner came to an agreement," said 
Vickers, who noted the ministry didn't order the move.

"We'll be pleased to be able to pay more attention to other environmental 
matters in Niagara."

Vickers and current property owner Dirk Breugem both attended a meeting at 
Pelham's town hall to tell neighbours about the plan.

Breugem said trucks should be "ready to rock 'n' roll" on Monday.

The landowner, who still faces a ministry investigation over berm runoff, 
admitted he wasn't prepared for the reaction of neighbours when he bought 
325 Church St., berm and all.

"Totally, not at all," he said Thursday night. "I'm happy to say we can 
remove the berm. I'm happy they're happy."

Breugem said he's worked out an agreement with Abitibi to remove the berm, 
but declined to discuss the details or the cost.

Breugem has repeatedly said he doesn't think the berm is dangerous to the 
environment. But he said Thursday he's glad it will disappear because he 
wants to expand his business, Greenland Greenhouses Inc. Abitibi 
representatives didn't attend the meeting and The Standard couldn't reach 
any by phone Thursday night.

Vickers said the company approached the ministry in December with the idea 
of moving the berm, citing the long-term cost of runoff containment and 
environmental monitoring.

Abitibi will also monitor ground and surface water during and after the 
removal, and report the results to the MOE, he said.

Pelham Mayor Dave Augustyn praised the landowner and Abitibi for their 
partnership.

He noted Abitibi had agreed to stop building new berms at the end of 2006.

"That's being a good corporate citizen," Augustyn said after the meeting. 
"That proves their commitment to a long-term solution."

He saved his biggest praise - and biggest surprise - for residents, who 
didn't know why they had been called to the meeting.

"I didn't think we'd see this day, even though we've worked for it," he 
said.

"That speaks to the determination of (neighbours) to keep this issue in the 
forefront."

Longtime sludge protester Randy Desnoyers admitted to being "shocked and 
awed" by the announcement.

"Nobody saw it coming," he said with a grin. "For once, I'm at a loss for 
words."

Lloyd Climenhage, who lives across the road from the berm and faithfully 
documented its leaks and odours, told The Standard last fall he dreamed the 
sludge mountain would disappear.

"It looks like sometimes dreams do come true," he said.

mvandongen@ stcatharinesstandard.ca

The berm timeline

June 12, 2006: About 30 neighbours picket in protest as a contractor dumps 
waste paper sludge from Abitibi Consolidated in a berm at 325 Church St. in 
Fenwick.

June 15: Then-Pelham mayor Ron Leavens blasts Environment Minister Laurel 
Broten for not regulating the use of waste paper sludge in berms - despite a 
year-old recommendation to do so from a provincially appointed expert panel.

June 23: Environment Commissioner Gord Miller tells The Standard the 
province has ignored his calls to regulate waste-paper sludge since 2002. 
"It seems to defy logic," he said.

July 3: Some protesters threaten a recycling boycott. Abitibi speaks out 
against the "anti-environment" threat, which ultimately fizzles. July 6: 
Niagara Region calls on the environment minister to regulate waste-paper 
sludge and meet with local officials.

July 10: MOE testing shows runoff contaminated with high levels of E. coli 
and ammonia has migrated off the berm into a nearby ditch.

Ministry officials say the runoff hasn't polluted local watercourses, but 
"clearly has the potential for adverse effects."

July 15: The MOE orders then-owner Jim Grove to clean up contamination that 
has leaked from his property and fix the protective clay wall surrounding 
the berm.

Aug. 3: Local politicians meet with the environment minister in Toronto, who 
tells them the province is still reviewing recommendations to regulate waste 
paper sludge in berms.

Sept. 28: The berm is finished, weighing in at an estimated 36,000 tonnes. 
The pile is longer than a football field and taller than the machines that 
built it.

Nov. 24: Abitibi agrees to stop building waste paper sludge berms and to 
monitor existing piles for pollution.

The company followed in the footsteps of Atlantic Packaging, the other major 
Ontario-based paper recycler to build berms.

July 13, 2007: The MOE launches an investigation into why the Fenwick berm 
hasn't been made environmentally safe. Despite three provincial orders, the 
berm remains uncovered and periodically leaks runoff.

New owner Dirk Breugem said the work will be done.

Jan. 24: Abitibi agrees to remove the berm, starting Monday, and take the 
material back to its Thorold plant. The berm will be rebuilt beside the 
company's existing landfill.


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