Gulls Soaring Near Leduc Landfill and Edmonton Int'l Airport

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Letter from Janette McDonald to Honourable Rob Renner, Minister, Alberta Environment

January 12, 2009
Honourable Rob Renner
Minister, Alberta Environment

Re: Application 004-47073 Leduc and District Regional Landfill Authority (LDRLA) expansion

The Saunders Lake Improvement Coalition (SLIC) is a community-based organization of people who are concerned about positive and sustainable development around Saunders Lake in Leduc County. Members of SLIC attended a meeting in December where you spoke about Alberta Environment's commitment to water quality. We share that commitment, and request that your department re-open the public input process for the LDRLA's application for expansion, so that the people of Alberta can review the impact of this expanded site on water quality in the North Saskatchewan River basin.

In light of the facts that:
Alberta Environment has identified water quality as a priority for the Government of Alberta and

Alberta Environment launched an investigation into practices at the LDRLA, and

the LDRLA intends to receive contaminated soils from non-member organizations, a use that was not part of the original application, and

the proposed expansion has received very negative press-see attached article in The Edmonton Sun dated October 30, 2008 at:<http://www.edmontonsun.com/News/Columnists/Diotte_Kerry/2008/10/29/7246281-sun.html>

I request that Alberta Environment re-open the public input process for this application. This is the only way that the people of Alberta can discuss and review the impact of this application completely.
SLIC members would like to meet with you regarding this important decision. Two of our members are available for a meeting next week. We will call your office to confirm a time that fits your schedule.

Yours truly,
Janette McDonald
Member, SLIC
c.c c.c. Ed Stelmach Premier , Ray Danyluk Minister Municipal Affairs, Diana McQueen MLA Drayton Valley-Calmar, George Rogers MLA Leduc-Beaumont-Devon, Jim Ellis Deputy Minister Environment Fred Laux Q.C. Shores Jardine , Leduc Representative, Edmonton Sun

Tempting fate

Letter to the Editor - John Holub, Edmonton

The Edmonton Journal

Saturday, January 24, 2009

<http://www.edmontonjournal.com/entertainment/Tempting+fate/1214055/story.html>

Hazardous waste

Letter to the Editor - Thomas O. Taylor, Leduc County
The Edmonton Journal
Wednesday, January 21, 2009
<http://www.canada.com/edmontonjournal/news/letters/story.html?id=e28f552d-f258-4dd7-a619-be505be1e46b>

Edmonton International Airport Has Highest Birdstrike Rate

<http://www.theglobeandmail.com/servlet/story/LAC.20090117.AIRPORT17/TPStory/National&gt;

Leduc Landfill Creates Aircraft Bird Strike Problem

The Leduc Regional Waste Management facility located under the flight path of the main runway at the Edmonton International Airport (YEG) attracts huge numbers of gulls. Adjoining lakes make the area even more attractive. Large congregations and airports make for higher possibilities for birds and planes colliding (bird strikes). Planes landing at YEG are flying very low past the Leduc Landfill as they land into the prevailing wind direction.
Transport Canada regulations prohibit bird attracting activities surrounding airports. The existing landfill is grandfathered but cannot expand its food filled garbage area.
The continued operation of the Leduc Regional Waste Management facility maintains a high level of bird strike threat to aircraft.

links:
bird strike YEG <http://avherald.com/h?article=40653237>

Transport Canada Bird Strike Summary <http://www.tc.gc.ca/civilaviation/AerodromeAirNav/Standards/WildlifeControl/summaries/sevenyear/2-3.htm>

Birdstrike Canada.com <http://74.125.95.132/search?q=cache:q1R2aFhzrHEJ:www.birdstrikecanada.com/Papers2007/Dudley,%2520Stewart%2520-%2520Airport%2520Bird%2520Hazard.pdf+landfill+bird+strikes&hl=en&ct=clnk&cd=2&gl=ca&client=firefox-a>

Thomas Taylor

Natives want court to dump toxic waste site plan

Natives want court to dump toxic waste site plan
By PETER ZIMONJIC
<http://calsun.canoe.ca/News/National/2009/01/10/pf-7980516.html>
A First Nations group took its fight to stop a picturesque lake in the B.C. Interior from being turned into a toxic dump to the province's Supreme Court this week.
The Xeni Gwet'in appeared in court Tuesday to try and save Fish Lake from being used as a dump for waste from a massive mine operated by Taseko Mines Ltd.
"I can't imagine anyone wanting to destroy a lake and poison the waters downriver," said Chief Marilyn Baptiste in a statement.
Fish Lake is home to a genetically unique species of rainbow trout, and has an estimated population of 85,000 fish. The lake is still under environmental review. If approved for destruction, Fish Lake will join Sandy Pond in Newfoundland, Tail Lake and the northwest arm of Second Portage Lake in Nunavut, and Manitoba's Bucko Lake, which were approved as waste sites in 2008.
Wolfgang Zilker, a local activist, is also trying to protect the lake with his website www.protectfishlake.ca.
"There are precious few places like this left in the world and it would be a shame for it to be destroyed by a mining operation," said Zilker.