Dartmouth & Vicinity: Engagement Session 1
The first engagement session for the Dartmouth community and vicinity, took place at Cole Harbour Place, on September 25. We will be returning to the same venue for session 2 on Wednesday, October 16th.
The first engagement session for the Dartmouth community and vicinity, took place at Cole Harbour Place, on September 25. We will be returning to the same venue for session 2 on Wednesday, October 16th.
Event Overview & Key Themes
The bullet points below reflect the key comments, questions and themes we heard at the engagement session. The conversation was structured around the following questions:
- “What do you appreciate most about the way we handle our trash in HRM?”
- “What is most important to you as we evolve our waste system?”
- “What values and principles should guide our future decisions?”
“What do you appreciate most about the way we handle our trash in HRM?”
? Front end process
? Public consensus
? Improve without tearing it all apart
? Ahead of the curve
? Education of children
? Input from the public
? Proud! (we want clear bags)
“What values and principles should guide our future decisions?”
*Please note that the below is transcribed directly from post-it notes collected at the engagement session.
Honor the Contract
? Honor the agreement created by host community for protection
? Simple principlehonor
the commitment to host community
? The promise to the people
? Honor the existing agreement and permits without change and no extension for Otter
Lake operational term past 25 years
? Honor agreements with community
? The same values and principles that were evident when the agreement between HRM
and the host community for Otter Lake
? HRM must honor their contract
? Honor the contracts
? Keep promises made
? Honesty and support from HRM government
Education, Source Separation and Diversion
? Focus on education and source separation
? Public responsibility to separate at the source
? Work to increase source separation. Education, awareness, enforcement, accountability
? Diversion/ Source separation
? Improve source separation through education and enforcement
? Source separation - commercial building (especially new). Build better source separation in the design and through permit
? Education - commercial, institutional, general public
? Focus on diverting more from ICI sector - apartments,
businesses, commercial
? Use waste audits to tackle recyclables and organics not diverted
? Collect organics from restaurants and apartments
? Increase diversion at source including businesses
Environmental Protection
? Environment over dollars and cents. Willing to pay more for state of the art.
? Environment –do not reduce liner, keep processes at Otter Lake and look at how to
enhance
? Environmental protection
? Environmental and community protection
? Don’t reduce existing environmental protections
? Reliable data and environmental assessment
Community Protection
? Community commitment and protection (now at Otter Lake and future site)
? Ensuring that the citizens understand the ramifications both financially and
environmentally, especially those citizens who host the landfill in their area
Not Listening
? I thought the listening meant that HRM would listen to us. Instead, we got a sales job and
we did the listening
? I do not see any demonstration of values and principle in the way this meeting is being
conducted
Additional comments:
- Plan for the Long Term
- Celebrate our World Class Landfill
- Trust in our Government
- Look at Best Practices (don’t go backward)
- Improve Operations (without making it worse)
- Leave Otter Lake Alone
- Use Clear Bags
Consultation has concluded
