"Not the right time to sell"

It turns out the sale of the property I posted yesterday has been terminated.

I spoke to the real estate agent to see if I could see the Landfill Summary Report from 2002, however he told me the owner is taking it off the market, and that the owner said it "isn't the right time for it to be up for sale".

Unfortunately, the owner took back all the documents, so the agent did not have them any more. However, the Landfill Summary Report must be in the hands of another person. I will continue in my search to uncover more information on the landfill site.

Vacant land(fill) for sale!

I have discovered that a rectangular piece of vacant land has been listed for sale at the corner of Rossland and Grandview - keep reading, it gets better! This encompasses 20 acres of the Harmony Creek landfill and 50 acres to the south. This is pretty shocking stuff, because I am fairly certain that this area encompasses the leachate area!

Real Estate Type: Vacant Land
Land Size: 70.00 Acre
Location: Rossland Rd, Oshawa, ON
Price: $4,900,000

The "General Description" in the listing spells out the details of the landfill:
This 70 Acre Rectangular-Shaped Parcel Of Land Is Dissected North From South Into 2 Portions By The Future Rossland Road Eextension. There Is An Approximate 20 Acre Former Landfill Footprint In The North-Western Portion Of The Lot. No Landifll Waste Was Deposited Since June 30, 1980. The Approximate Southern 50 Acre Portion Is Undeveloped Land With Some Groundwater Flow To Harmony Creek. This Property Is Surrounded By Many Large Modern Subdivision Homes.**** EXTRAS **** There Was A Certificate Of Approval To Operate An Industrial Landfill On The 20 Acre Site. Listing Broker Has A May 2003 Rossland Road Environmental Assessment Report And A 2002 Landfill Site Summary Report.

Who would want to buy this property I have no idea, but but chances are it would be for development. I am thinking this 2002 Landfill Site Summary Report must be publically accessible so I will try to track it down.

The picture listed with the property faces East at the intersection of Rossland Road and Grandview Street, where many people park their car and walk along the South side of the landfill. The lecahate is literally a 1 minute walk east from here - if that.

Steps forward

This afternoon I attended the Development Services Committee meeting at City Hall to give a short presentation on my concerns at the landfill. It was very well received, and I am pleased with the response that action needs to take place to determine what is going on at the site.

There seems to be a growing consensus that despite claims by the Ministry of the Environment, steps need to be taken to ensure the landfill is not leaching and posing a risk to the health of humans and the environment. And steps are beginning to be taken. The City, local Conservation Authority, and a Toronto-based environmental group are now on board and willing to dig for information and perform sampling. This is all very good news!

"Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change the world. Indeed, it's the only thing that ever has."
- Margaret Mead -