Local residents have two distinct concerns about a proposed landfill expansion in Wildwood: what’s there, and what would be added.

The capped landfill owned by Catalyst Paper is a haphazard mixture of metals, contaminated wood, hog–fuel, black, green and white liquor dregs, fly and bottom ash and unidentified substances. Dust and leachate from the site have historically been a problem in the community, and the landfill was capped because of contamination in 1995.

Catalyst proposes adding a 1 million ton, 20-metre fly-ash mountain on top of the capped landfill, making it the highest man made structure in the Powell River area, aside from the mill itself. The terminal cap is an unstable foundation for this structure.
A basic point of contention is the proximity of the landfill to local homes and businesses. Catalyst is seeking a waiver of the prescribed 300 metre buffer zone that protects residential neighbourhoods. At least 7 homes lie within 100 metres, and 90 homes and a restaurant lie within 300 metres of the site.

The proposed expansion poses at least two grave threats:
1. It would deform and pressurize the existing landfill, and thus exacerbate the toxic leachate into local groundwater.
2. The dioxin containing fly–ash dust has already been a problem at this site. Because of prevailing wind patterns, dioxin containing fly-ash dust goes directly to the local neighbourhood, including an elementary school 575 metres downwind. Residents say that the proposed height of the structure would greatly increase the dust problem. Catalyst contends that their current method of slurrying the fly-ash would stem the dust, although they base this on a study they admit was flawed. They recommend further dustfall testing in 2007. Read more »