Calgary-based company RemedX Remediation Services Inc invited residents from the Village of Hussar to attend a series of information sessions in late March, and the company gave a presentation to Wheatland County council members during the regular council meeting on Tuesday, April 6.
RemedX previously applied for a development permit for a Class II solid waste management facility east of Hussar and Highway 56, in rural Wheatland County; however, during a public hearing in August 2020 residents of the village spoke at length in opposition to the proposed facility, and Wheatland County council voted against the facility.
“I did have a brief conversation with the Mayor of Hussar (Corey Fisher) to let him know no application has come forward at this point,” Wheatland County Reeve Amber Link said during the council meeting. “I did let Mayor Fisher know, council had been in some more high level conversations around hosting agreements, but no discussion about this particular development; and, of course, I would have no position on a development prior to a public hearing and hearing all the information around the application.”
During the presentation to council, RemedX CEO Barry Flood referenced a similar site located near Breton in Brazeau County, approximately 100 kilometers southwest of Edmonton, which has been in operation since 2018.
The presentation also touched upon some of the concerns Hussar residents brought up during the public hearing last year, including increased traffic on area roads and environmental concerns.
“There are days at our site in the north (Breton) where we get 50, 60 trucks in a day,” stated Mr. Flood. “Yesterday at our site, we had zero trucks. We average about 10 to 12 trucks per day over the year, usually pretty spread out, so not really noticeable.”
He added the majority of traffic would be along Highway 56 rather than along Highway 561.
Environmental concerns such as soil contamination and odour are another concern for Hussar residents, as the proposed facility would be located approximately three kilometers east of the village.
Division 1 Councillor Jason Wilson motioned for the presentation to be accepted by council as information as no application for development has been brought forward. The motion was carried unanimously by council.
