DIDSBURY - Council is taking further steps towards putting in a road ban in response to trucks carrying hydrocarbon contaminated soil to the landfill where it is used as cover.
At the recent regularly scheduled council meeting, councillors voted to direct administration to return a bylaw to regulate road use throughout the municipality to allow for future road bans.
Coun. Joyce McCoy told her fellow councillors that she believed the traffic would continue on that road (23rd Street) because the landfill is using the contaminated soil for daily or intermediate cover.
“This traffic is not a one-up, it's going to continue,” said McCoy. “The volume may cut back once they've given us our 120,000 tonnes but it will continue on. They will continue to haul for another two months according to the paper and they have been accepting this kind of contaminated soil for the last three years. So for sure it's ongoing.”
Derek Sutherland, manager of protective services, told council that local peace officers have been educating and enforcing weight limit rules with the truck drivers.
“Ultimately, it is the drivers who are responsible for making sure their trucks are within weight limits,” said Sutherland.
The contaminated soil is being brought to the landfill by trucks contracted by Ridgeline Canada for Mountain View Regional Waste Management Commission.
The Town of Didsbury does not currently have a bylaw that allows for a road ban to be instituted,” said Christofer Atchison, manager of legislative and development services. “As such, council provided direction to have administration develop a bylaw to be returned for council review.”
Until the bylaw is enacted, the town cannot move forward with requiring road use agreements or instituting road bans.
