Annapolis County wants third-party review of waste dispute

Annapolis County plans to ask the Nova Scotia government to set up a judicial review of Valley Waste, the regional waste management system.

The request will be made under the Public Inquiries Act and the review will need to be headed up by a Supreme Court justice. Annapolis County and Valley Waste parted ways in 2018.

The Valley Region Solid Waste-Resource Management Authority was co-owned and operated by seven municipalities. They jointly operated it for close to two decades. The dispute has led to a lawsuit and counterclaims.

"This is the consequence of a failure of governance," said Warden Timothy Habinski at a special council meeting held on Tuesday. "Without question, there needs to be an independent third-party review."

The move surprised the mayor of Kings County, which remains a member of Valley Waste.

"We have consistently asked for third-party negotiation and Annapolis [County] has consistently refused, but we remain open to the possibility," said Peter Muttart.

Rising garbage disposal costs a concern

Habinski has dismissed binding arbitration because he said it would not allow the public to find out the details. But Muttart said an arbitration process does not necessarily have to be done in secret.

Nova Scotia's Minister of Environment, Gordon Wilson, would not comment on the dispute between Annapolis County and Valley Waste, but acknowledged there are general concerns about the rising costs of garbage disposal. The inefficiencies of garbage systems in the province were outlined in a recent report.

"Until I have a good understanding of the efficiency report, I think it would be premature for me to comment," he said. "Ultimately, it's up to municipalities to decide which direction they go."

Since its breakup with Valley Waste, Annapolis County has spent $658,000 on new compost bins and $500,000 for land in West Paradise to set up a new transfer station.

Municipal officials still believe they can save money in the long run. But according to a manager with Valley Waste, co-operation is the best way to deal with rising costs.

"It's so important to work together to reduce costs," said Andrew Garrett. "Everyone is better off, that's the bottom line."

Companies can bid until Oct. 11 

There has been vocal opposition to the transfer station proposal from Annapolis County residents. A public meeting was held last Thursday.

John Ferguson, CAO for the municipality, said the construction tender for the project would remain up while other options are considered. The tender calls for the project to be completed by the end of December.

The work would include the construction of three new buildings, including a scale house, a transfer station and a compost building. Bids are due Oct. 11.

The project still needs approval from county council.

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