Several residents have come forward in an attempt to block a landscaping supply company from obtaining a permit to dump excess soil at a new site in north Oshawa.
Their effort comes after the same company operated in the area for a number of years in the past. Residents are concerned the work that was done has taken a toll on the health of the surrounding community and even led to a handful of people falling ill.
The Beginning
Starting in 2008, northern Oshawa resident Allen Frank began to notice changes to his health as well as his surroundings. Frank developed bladder cancer and started to see the presence of wildlife diminish in the area.
All of this was happening, Frank says, as hundreds of trucks were coming in at all hours of the day, dumping contents at a nearby excess soil site. This type of activity falls under the city’s site alteration by-law. It requires a permit for companies doing specific work, including landscaping, works related to new development and work that would impact properties around it.
At the time, Whitby Landscape supply company Hard-Co Construction, had obtained a permit from the city to dump excess soil at the site at 618 Columbus Rd.
Frank says the operation caused several disturbances for residents in the area.
“There was a lot of dust and the tailgate banging,” he said. “When these trucks dump, not all the soil will come out of the box so they bang the tailgate. It’s like a cannon going off.”
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Frank says he also experienced an “unbearable” stench one day after observing the trucks dump an unknown material.
The resident alleges “the result of that was cluster flies. (Us and the neighbours) were bombarded with cluster flies and we had no idea what was going on.”
In the 10 years or so that Hard-Co operated the site, Frank and a number of colleagues had gone to observe the land multiple times. Pictures Frank says are of the site provided to Global News show several materials that should not have been permitted, including part of a tire, vehicle parts, steel bars and a brown substance Frank says was coming out of the ground.
“We were never told about it,” he said.
“We couldn’t get the contents of what they were doing. (The city) wasn’t monitoring the trucks.”
Serious Allegations
The group of residents and Oshawa city and regional councillor John Neal have made a number of serious allegations. Among them: illegal dumping took place during the years, and as a result, contaminants seeped into the residents’ well water, ultimately impacting their health.
The residents’ well water is received from the Oak Ridges Moraine, located alongside the rural residential area in Oshawa. It forms the watershed divide between Lake Ontario and Lake Simcoe and is headwaters to more than 30 rivers.
The community says since 2008, at least nine people within a one-kilometer radius have developed cancer and one has died. The residents have not tested the water to confirm their suspicions.
Global News has reached out to a number of medical experts. While some claim it is possible contaminants could have seeped into the water from the activity at the site, others say it would require several months of research to determine whether residents’ illnesses are linked to the site.
When asked which party is responsible for following up on health complaints relating to this matter, Ontario Public Health said questions should be directed towards Durham’s health department.
Durham Region Health Department said in a statement representatives “met with a couple of residents in north Oshawa earlier this year regarding the concerns.”
“Following this meeting, the Health Department reached out to the Ontario Ministry of the Environment, Conservations and Parks (MECP), to determine the necessity for an investigation of community groundwater quality and the potential impacts based on the community’s concerns.”
Durham Health went on to say residents were told if they wanted “to move forward with such an investigation, they would have to provide the MECP with their well water sampling results showing that a potential contamination had taken place.” The statement said the region had not received notification that samples were submitted to the ministry.
However, residents were told the region does not test well water for heavy metal contaminants.
Global News followed up Durham Health, who told Global News “testing of private well water quality is the responsibility of the well owner. Through the well water sampling program, Durham Region Health Department provides bacteriological testing only.”
“Members of the public can have their water tested for other parameters for a fee at private testing facilities. This information was shared with the residents in attendance at the meeting that was held.” The community says the government should be responsible for this research and testing.
Global News has reached out to multiple geologists, who say the kind of testing residents need can range from hundreds to thousands of dollars.
Durham Health also said any concerns regarding dumping activities in the area should continue to be reported to the city.
The Central Lake Ontario Conservation Authority (CLOCA) says while other parties were allowed to dump soil at the site, it was Hard-Co that had the responsibility to ensure the conditions of the permit were complied with.
“The permit does not specify that soil can only be received from Hardco Construction, rather the permit allows the activity and specifies that HardCo is responsible to ensure the placement and grading of soil is in accordance with listed conditions,” Chris Darling, CLOCA chief administrative officer told Global News in a statement.
In regards to documents that would support this, Darling said “a list of parties who placed soil at the subject site and historical documentation of CLOCA site inspections will take some time, likely a week or two.”
New Application, Same Company
Now, Hard-Co has applied for another site alteration permit at 3440 Wilson Rd., roughly one kilometre away from the previous site.
Residents are fighting to block the permit from being granted by the city, with fears additional alleged illegal dumping could take place.
With signs that read “save our water,” dozens of protesters gathered outside of Oshawa city hall Thursday in an effort to interrupt the application so that further analysis of the site can be conducted. Neal has been advocating for a moratorium, which would temporarily interrupt the city from granting the company the site alteration permit. The moratorium is expected to go to the city’s development services committee on Nov. 9.
Neal says the city is looking to hold virtual public meetings on the matter, something he says won’t work for rural residents as the internet connection is poor in northern Oshawa.
“We had to fight hard even to get that public meeting,” Neal said.
“For them to now do a virtual public meeting with the internet and the phone service we have out here? That’s irresponsible.”
No Response from City, Hard-Co
Despite multiple requests for comment, Oshawa city officials did not respond to Global News. Hard-Co was also asked to comment on the story, however, the company’s founder, Larry Harding, did not respond over e-mail.
Neal and the residents say they’ve reached out to all three levels of government, but have had no luck with help for their cause.
Rural Water Protection
Clint Cole, rural resident and chair of the Inniskillin Environmental Association, says rural residents shouldn’t have to fight in order to protect their local water supply.
“Unlike city residents, who have city-supplied water that’s monitored daily by city officials, the onus of water protection for rural residents is entirely on their own,” Cole said.
“To me, that creates an imbalance.”
Cole says the city has an obligation to protect residents’ health and safety.
“The burden is on the residents to somehow prove that damage has been done. We have to actually wait for contamination to actually show up either in the water or in the health of residents before anything is done?” Cole asked rhetorically. He says all residents, no matter urban or rural, should have measures in place to protect their water supply.
Broader Impact
Neal, Frank and Cole have expressed concern for other areas in Oshawa and communities along Lake Ontario.
“What happens on the Oak Ridges Moraine flows right through the Oshawa creek down to the lake,” said Neal.
“It affects everybody, and it will for generations to come.”
What’s more, Neal says Oshawa’s site alteration by-law is weak compared to its municipal neighbours.
“Other municipalities are a lot (more strict) when it comes to monitoring,” he said.
“Here, it’s a free-for-all.”
Neal has since started a petition in support of a moratorium for Hard-Co’s application to operate at the Wilson Road site.
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