Dozens of Halifax-area residents showed up to the weekly council meeting on Tuesday as councillors voted to change curbside collection rules in the Halifax Regional Municipality.
The agenda included voting recommendations which could change the way HRM residents sort solid waste, such as removing boxboard from green bins, banning grass clippings from collection and using paper bags for leaves.
But HRM resident Stephen Taylor says his main concern is upholding a promise made 15 years ago to a community that accepted Halifax’s garbage.
“So, we had to go to a community and say, if we cite a landfill in your community in the middle of the city without an environmental assessment, we’ll give you protections,” says Taylor.
“Now council has decided, based on money, that wasn’t part of the initial agreement, that we will no longer give you those protections.”
City staff want to extend the life of the Otter Lake landfill beyond 2024 and increase its height but residents have reservations.
“The environmental impact is my main concern and with that comes the property values in the surrounding communities,” says resident Scott Guthrie.
Council didn’t make a decision on the future of the landfill, other than to put it over for another day.
Councillors did vote on several recommendations, including asking the public for input on the use of clear bags.
The manager of solid waste says the goal is to reduce materials that wrongfully end up in the landfill and save money.
“That’s intended to increase behavioural change, change how we manage our waste, and turn materials that have traditionally been called garbage into resources,” says Gord Helm.
With files from CTV Atlantic's Kelland Sundahl
