Peel dump site a horror for residents
By ALAN LICZYK Staff Reporter

Residents living near the Peel region dump site at King Street and Dixie Road in Caledon complained to Caledon council last Tuesday about the stench arising from the site and the various illnesses they've been suffering from.

One of the residents, Sue Thurston, told council the dump site is an "ecological horror." She said they've been smelling the stench since January. Some of the problems people have been suffering from include sore eyes, nausea and debilitating stress.

"We've had to flee our home to avoid illness," Thurston said, adding they're trying to escape the outside air. "This is a colossal injustice to the people you were elected to serve."

She questioned how do they make people do the right thing when money is in the ring.

"This is a regional issue," said Regional Councillor Allan Thompson. "I'm not trying to pass the buck."

He noted he has visited the dump site.

"You can taste it," he said. "Our guys have failed to do the job properly. We're using the wrong equipment."

Mayor Marolyn Morrison explained the region owns the site and it may have to enclose the whole thing.

A half-dozen other residents also addressed council.

"It's wrong, it's immoral," said a tearful Celia Chapman. "We have a right to breathe fresh air."

Cliff Chapman asked council who would authorize a dump on top of a dump.

"You should not have to put up with what you've had to put up with," Morrison said. "We expected this not to smell."

She added the region must figure out what the problem is. She expects the problem to be solved eventually so that it operates like the Caledon dump site.

Councillor Richard Whitehead said it was important for the residents to make a delegation to the Peel regional council meeting last Thursday. He explained only the region can deal with this problem.

Council unanimously passed a motion receiving and forwarding the residents' petition to the region, and requesting regional staff and the medical officer of health immediately report back to council regarding the cause of the problems, the solution to these problems, the health and safety concerns, and the timelines to resolve this matter.