The Town of Virden has filed a lawsuit against Hazco Environmental Services for putting the community’s soil and groundwater at risk.
Hazco has been in a contract with Virden since 2006 – the town of Virden signed under the impression that the company would be involved in ongoing development of the Municipal & Industrial Waste Facility.
In a CBC article, the statement said, “That involved constructing “cells” containing compacted clay linger overlaid with a high density polyethylene liner which would be filled with non-hazardous industrial waste.”
The first cell was built in 2007 and the second one followed suit a few years later in 2010. During work on the second cell, it was allegedly found that the first cell’s retention berm was not replaced properly – after it was removed for construction.
Currently, Hazco Environmental Services has 40 days to file a defence statement.
According to CBC News, in a statement of claim filed at Manitoba’s Court of Queen’s Bench last week, the town said Hazco Environmental Services, operated by Tervita Corporation of Calgary, didn’t install a retention berm properly at their waste treatment and disposal facility. The town claims this resulted in leachate - a liquid that drains from a landfill - permeating non-lined ground, a violation of the facility’s Environment Act licence, causing a risk of soil and groundwater contamination.
At this time none of the statements have been proven in court.
The town of Virden is asking for $140,000 in damages after finding out in 2014 about the problems and paying for environmental investigation and repairs.
