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Hamilton Spectator
11-07-2025
- Health
- Hamilton Spectator
Stoney Creek residents demand protection from spiking levels of landfill ‘cat pee' odour
Neighbours of a stinky Stoney Creek landfill are demanding government action to protect their health after levels of 'rotten egg' pollution spiked well beyond legal limits last week. The province has told landfill operator GFL to hold a public meeting explaining how it will fix its stinky garbage juice treatment lagoon — but area councillor Brad Clark says he plans to ask for a review of potential health impacts on residents. Late last week, a monitoring station near the landfill's pond for leachate twice registered spikes of total reduced sulphur (TRS), a mix of gaseous air pollutants that include hydrogen sulphide — the culprit behind the 'rotten egg' sulphur smell. In an angry email chain, some landfill neighbours complained about the smell of cat pee and '100 dirty litter boxes' leaving them sleepless and breathless at 3 a.m. Desperate residents also brought their concerns to federal Conservative MP Ned Kuruc in a town-hall meeting last weekend, even though landfill regulation is a provincial matter. 'It was seeping into our homes with the windows closed … it was just awful,' said landfill neighbour Susan Chapman in a later interview. Even after the worst overnight smell subsided, it was 'impossible' to spend time outside during the day without gagging, she said. 'We would like the medical officer of health to take another look at the effects of what we're experiencing.' A leachate pond for the Stoney Creek landfill is apparently to blame for spiking 'rotten egg' odour. The measured pollutant levels topped 170 parts per billion over a short period early in the morning on both July 3 and 4, which is more than 10 times the Ontario air standard. It is also above an 'upper risk threshold' set by the province that triggers an automatic notice to the Ministry of Environment, Conservation and Parks. An after-hours environmental response officer visited the landfill lagoon and confirmed odour problems and 'exceedances' of total reduced sulphur, said ministry spokesperson Gary Wheeler by email. Wheeler said the province directed GFL to come up with a plan to deal with the lagoon issues — which are reoccurring this year — and also to schedule a public meeting to deal with neighbour questions and concerns. That virtual meeting is slated for July 24 at 6 p.m. The Spectator has reached out to GFL for comment repeatedly in recent weeks about landfill complaints but has not heard back. However, residents received an email acknowledgment from the company of more lagoon problems shortly after the odour levels spiked. 'GFL is experiencing issues with the leachate pond located within the (Heritage Green) dog park, which is causing odours,' reads the message. The company said it stopped the flow of garbage juice into the pond for an investigation and is undertaking 'mitigation measures,' including adjusting the leachate treatment process. 'We thank you for your patience during this time as we take active steps to resolve odour issues and strengthen our mitigation efforts,' reads the message. Wheeler said the company has 'voluntarily' complied with directions from the ministry to try to resolve the issue, but added the ministry is 'evaluating' recent odour measurement data 'and assessing the need for additional compliance actions.' The city's public health department previously commissioned independent air testing near the landfill in response to the infamous 2023 'summer of stink,' but those point-in-time test results did not show any direct health risks. Via email, the department said it reached out to the ministry to learn more about the recent odour incident, but noted the province is the responsible regulator for air quality. The latest spate of measurably high odour pollution, however, prompted Coun. Clark to put forward a notice of motion this week seeking to ask for a review of the potential impacts of 'public exposure' to the sulphurous spike. The notice also asks staff to examine what appears to be a growing number of ambulance calls to the ward involving respiratory distress. Councillors will consider the motion at a future general issues committee meeting. So could the overwhelming rotten egg stench literally make residents sick? It's not as simple a questions as it sounds, said Matthew Adams, a University of Toronto professor and air quality researcher who is studying hydrogen sulphide impacts in Hamilton, including around the landfill. Adams said while the recorded spike in stinky pollutants represents a 'very clear exceedance' of the ministry's protective threshold levels for odour, the concentrations are still not high enough to cause 'direct, serious health impacts.' But Adams emphasized that level of hydrogen sulphides would guarantee 'a very noticeable odour' — and that has 'real, meaningful impacts' on those exposed. 'In talking to this community, it is clear people are stressed out. The odour issue is affecting their sleep patterns, it is affecting their mental health.' Error! Sorry, there was an error processing your request. There was a problem with the recaptcha. Please try again. You may unsubscribe at any time. By signing up, you agree to our terms of use and privacy policy . This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google privacy policy and terms of service apply. Want more of the latest from us? Sign up for more at our newsletter page .
Hamilton Spectator
10-07-2025
- Health
- Hamilton Spectator
Hamilton says sewage surveillance to detect disease is too costly
Hamilton is not bringing back wastewater surveillance to detect emerging infectious disease because the cost is deemed too high. The University of Ottawa quoted $55,000 to start doing wastewater analysis for Hamilton again in the absence of provincial funding that ended in 2024. McMaster University provided an estimate of $87,500 to $188,000 to start a wastewater surveillance program, depending on what was being tested. 'Given limited financial resources, it would be reasonable to not invest at this time in a local wastewater surveillance program,' concluded a report to the board of health July 7. The report says 'there is no available funding' for wastewater analysis in the existing public health budget, so any proposal to restart surveillance would need to be referred to next year's budget debate. However, some board members questioned the potential cost of losing an early-warning system that tracks diseases such as mpox , COVID, RSV, influenza and avian flu. 'Is it cost effective to actually run this in order to help prevent further outbreak or disease?' asked Chelsea Kirkby, one of the community representatives on the board. Ameil Joseph, vice chair of the board of health, asked how much money could potentially be saved by having an early-monitoring system to prevent outbreaks. Vice-chair Ameil Joseph said $55,000 could save the city from having to spend a lot more money on outbreaks at a time of climate change and lower vaccination rates. 'Those risks may be in the millions (of dollars) or even more,' Joseph said. 'We haven't yet assessed the cost of outbreak response.' However, Hamilton's medical officer of health says the effectiveness of wastewater surveillance is still being researched and has not been proven to avert any costs. Dr. Elizabeth Richardson, medical officer of heath, said the effectiveness of wastewater surveillance is still being researched and has not been proven to avert any costs. 'At this point, it does not provide public health services with actionable data that goes beyond what we already have through other sources,' Dr. Elizabeth Richardson told the board. 'We don't at this point have something different that we could do based on having that data.' The report suggests waiting 'until ongoing research provides clearer guidance on its most effective use, or as a part of participation of a larger overall surveillance system co-ordinated at a higher level of government.' However, Kirkby pushed back on that analysis, pointing to the provincial wastewater surveillance program in response to COVID-19 that ran through the Ministry of Environment, Conservation and Parks from around fall 2020 to August 2024. 'We were able to know that there was more COVID out in the community circulating than was (otherwise) known,' Kirkby said. 'So then there's action around communicating that to the public around being more careful.' It's not the first time Hamilton public health's assertions on wastewater surveillance have been questioned. In March 2022, public health was not using or disclosing wastewater surveillance for COVID because Richardson said, 'It's not something that has worked in Hamilton to date.' That claim was refuted by Robert Delatolla, whose University of Ottawa team was detecting COVID in Hamilton's wastewater. At that time, he called the data 'remarkable' and suggested public health wasn't using the resources available to understand the information. Hamilton is not currently one of the sites that was chosen for an ongoing national wastewater surveillance program for COVID run by the Public Health Agency of Canada. The feasibility of bringing back wastewater surveillance in Hamilton was raised in January by family physician Dr. Robin Lennox, before she was elected MPP for Hamilton Centre. 'Given the financial constraints that we have under public health and given the lack of understanding of so what does it all mean, I think it's really prudent to wait at this time,' said Dawn Danko, who is the education representative as a public school board trustee. Error! Sorry, there was an error processing your request. There was a problem with the recaptcha. Please try again. You may unsubscribe at any time. By signing up, you agree to our terms of use and privacy policy . This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google privacy policy and terms of service apply. Want more of the latest from us? Sign up for more at our newsletter page .
Hamilton Spectator
05-07-2025
- General
- Hamilton Spectator
Carlisle residents call on city to rethink new water tower location
A group of Carlisle residents is calling on the city to rethink the location of a proposed new water tower in the community. A petition started by Marianne Hoffman has garnered more than 450 signatures and alleges the site of the replacement tower — Tower Park in Carlisle — is a 'reckless, unlawful and short-sighted decision.' 'We're just really worried that they're going to push this through,' said Hoffman, who lives directly beside the park, where the current tower is also located. Specifically, she said the new tower's site, on top of the town's drinking water supply — without what Hoffman said is proper environmental review, public consultation, or zoning compliance — is a concern. The petitioners would like to see the proposed 49-metre tower relocated to a 'safer, properly planned location.' Hoffman said she has filed a complaint with the provincial ombudsman. Further, Hoffman said the city is shirking its responsibilities by not completing a full municipal environmental assessment for the project. Carlisle residents are calling on the City of Hamilton to rethink the location of a new water tower in Tower Park — the same site of the current water tower. However, Gary Wheeler, Ministry of Environment, Conservation and Parks spokesperson, said in an email the project is exempt from Environmental Assessment Act requirements 'as it consists of replacing an existing water storage facility and no land acquisition is required.' He said the city undertook the municipal environmental assessment process to arrive at building a new, larger water tower at Tower Park, which involved consultation and assessing a number of alternative solutions. Cari Vanderperk, Hamilton's director of watershed management, said in an email the city has completed environmental studies and received approvals from the ministry. 'The province has stringent regulatory and process requirements, which we continue to adhere to,' she said, noting that includes the city's 'evidence-informed decision' to exempt the project from the environmental assessment process. Water storage has been a long-standing issue in Carlisle, with discussions to build a new tower — and longtime water-use restrictions — stretching back more than 20 years. However, conservation efforts were determined to not be enough to meet the community's water needs, and the 1,400-cubic-metre storage capacity of the existing tower on Woodend Drive was found to be about two-thirds of the level needed to meet demand and firefighting storage. That shortfall is expected to nearly double by 2051 if 14 available properties are developed, according to a city staff report. In 2023, the city unveiled three possible storage options and eight sites , before determined a new elevated tank — like the existing water tower — at the Tower Park site was the best choice. The city has budgeted $11 million to build it. Vanderperk said the replacement project is necessary to ensure Carlisle has a 'safe and adequate supply of drinking water.' She said the city will be 'initiating rigorous measures during construction to protect the on-site wells' and will be sampling and testing at the project site. She said the new tower will be consistent with the current height of the old tower, but it will be wider to 'assure the community continues to have an adequate supply of drinking water.' Upon completion of the new tower, Vanderperk said the old water tower will be demolished. Vanderperk said the city will determine the final location of the water tower within Tower Park over the next two to three years during the detailed design process. She added the city hosted community residents at public information sessions in 2023 and 2024 to share project options and listen to community feedback. The city will continue to provide project updates to the community, she said. Flamborough Coun. Ted McMeekin said in an email the eventual expansion of the water tower is necessary 'given the demands for water in the Carlisle area.' McMeekin said his family lived 'about 100 yards from the existing water tower' and there were many occasions when a stop watering order had to be issued to control the overwatering of the area's 'large and prestige lawns.' 'With expansion in the community the demand for water has increased,' he said. Meanwhile, Hoffman said there are myriad other issues with the project — including construction noise, which she fears will negatively impact her son with autism and sensory-integration issues, as well as impacts on endangered species. Hoffman said she expects to have to take the case to the Ontario Land Tribunal (OLT). 'I don't know what else to do but blow (the project) up,' she said, adding it would make sense to build a second water tower further away from the core of town. More than a decade ago, the city had planned to build a new water tower south of Carlisle on Centre Road, but opposition from area residents scuttled those plans. Error! Sorry, there was an error processing your request. There was a problem with the recaptcha. Please try again. You may unsubscribe at any time. By signing up, you agree to our terms of use and privacy policy . This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google privacy policy and terms of service apply. Want more of the latest from us? Sign up for more at our newsletter page .
Vancouver Sun
24-06-2025
- Science
- Vancouver Sun
Canada's first beach-cleaning robot is coming to Ontario parks this summer
SUTTON WEST, Ont. — Don't be alarmed if you see a Zamboni-like rover roaming Ontario's shores this summer — it's a beach-cleaning robot being tested in some provincial parks. The robot, called a BeBot, is a remotely operated and fully electric machine that removes plastic, glass, metal, paper and other debris from beaches with sand-sifting technology. 'This technology allows us to capture some of the larger pieces of plastic before they actually enter the water,' said Melissa DeYoung, CEO of environmental organization Pollution Probe, which launched the BeBot in partnership with the Ontario Ministry of the Environment, Conservation and Parks. DeYoung said it is 'critically important' to remove litter and plastics before they enter lakes since they commonly break down into microplastics that can impact wildlife in the water. Start your day with a roundup of B.C.-focused news and opinion. By signing up you consent to receive the above newsletter from Postmedia Network Inc. A welcome email is on its way. If you don't see it, please check your junk folder. The next issue of Sunrise will soon be in your inbox. Please try again Interested in more newsletters? Browse here. 'We'll never be able to remove all of the plastic that's found in the environment, but what we can do is collect data on the types of plastic we're finding and then we have a very good sense of what the sources might be and where that plastic might be coming from,' said DeYoung. The BeBot can clean up to 3,000 square metres per hour for up to eight hours and can remove the equivalent of around 19 bowling balls worth of plastic in one use, said DeYoung. The robot is battery-powered with a solar panel on the back and has a top speed of just below three kilometres per hour. The BeBot began its litter-cleaning work on the shores of Lake Simcoe at Sibbald Point Provincial Park this week, and will make its way to Inverhuron Provincial Park on Lake Huron in the next month. Then, it will head to Lake Erie's Long Point Provincial Park in late July and August, and Sandbanks Provincial Park and Darlington Provincial Park on Lake Ontario near the end of the summer. While removing litter is its main job, DeYoung said the robot's tour across the province also aims to encourage people to reduce waste. 'Sometimes people think we don't have an issue because they can't spot that plastic in the water,' DeYoung said. 'So having this technology that's highly visible out on the beach while we're working invites people to come in and discuss what we're doing, and then we can have those types of conversations that are required to have long-term solutions.' Pollution Probe first launched its initiative to remove plastic from the Great Lakes — called The Great Lakes Plastic Cleanup — in 2020 alongside the Council of the Great Lakes Region. DeYoung said the group had previously piloted the BeBot in the United States and was looking to find partners to bring it to Canada, leading to its collaboration with the Ontario government and Unsmoke Canada. Andrew Dowie, parliamentary assistant to Environment Minister Todd McCarthy, said the Ontario government has provided almost $1 million to Pollution Probe's efforts to tackle plastic pollution around the Great Lakes since 2021. The beach-cleaning robot will join more than 160 plastic capturing technologies already in use by Pollution Probe, DeYoung said. Our website is the place for the latest breaking news, exclusive scoops, longreads and provocative commentary. Please bookmark and sign up for our daily newsletter, Posted, here .
Edmonton Journal
24-06-2025
- Science
- Edmonton Journal
Canada's first beach-cleaning robot is coming to Ontario parks this summer
Article content SUTTON WEST, Ont. — Don't be alarmed if you see a Zamboni-like rover roaming Ontario's shores this summer — it's a beach-cleaning robot being tested in some provincial parks. The robot, called a BeBot, is a remotely operated and fully electric machine that removes plastic, glass, metal, paper and other debris from beaches with sand-sifting technology. 'This technology allows us to capture some of the larger pieces of plastic before they actually enter the water,' said Melissa DeYoung, CEO of environmental organization Pollution Probe, which launched the BeBot in partnership with the Ontario Ministry of the Environment, Conservation and Parks.
