Some Russell residents opposed to landfill plans

Some people in Russell, Ont., are gearing up for a lengthy fight against proposed garbage dumps in their area.

"This isn't residential waste, this isn't a few baby diapers," said David Brown, vice-president of Citizens' Environmental Stewardship Association. "This is stuff out of the back of pharmacies and restaurants and industrial plants, with toxins that are a lot worse than baby poop."

Taggart Miller Environmental Services is proposing to turn a former quarry and a site nearby into landfills.

But some people in the community are worried that if the plans are approved, their community will become a dumping ground for Eastern Ontario garbage and that the landfills might leak contaminated fluids into the groundwater.

Taggart recently submitted its official dump plans to the province's environment ministry. The company said its plans are safe. Residents have until Oct. 15 to analyze Taggart's plans and submit their response.

Meeting for residents held Tuesday night

"This is starting to get serious," Brown said. "We've had to engage an environmental lawyer, an environmental planner. … It's starting to cost serious dollars."

A meeting of residents was held at Russell High School Tuesday night to discuss how to oppose the dumps. About 125 people signed a petition.

It could be months or years before the province decides whether to approve the plans or not.

In the meantime, residents said they plan to write protest letters to the environment ministry to keep pressure on the province.

Russell is 30 kilometres southeast of Ottawa.