Neighbours angered over GFL fire and asbestos

By Miriam Ostermann, Associate Editor

Nightingale residents are fuming over a continuous not-in-my-backyard attitude and an endless array of downplayed scenarios when dealing with the Green for Life (GFL) Wheatland Compost Facility in light of recent test findings and a fire.
The community’s concerns regarding health, property values and quality of life once again garnered attention when a piece of diesel-fueled equipment caught fire at the facility over the weekend.
The incident occurred just days after the non-profit organization Neighbours Against Pollution 2017 (NAP) released a statement regarding findings of asbestos in drywall found across the fence line in one resident’s field. The organization hired Western Site Technologies Inc., which took nine samples on Oct. 13. According to NAP 2017, the results indicated that one of the samples contains asbestos and the testing company recommended remediation and asbestos abatement to be conducted. However, a communications and public engagement firm, Transitional Solutions, hired by the conglomerate, was unable to comment on the test results, not having received the report, and stated that GFL tested the drywall materials on site for asbestos in July 2017 and test results did not indicate the presence of asbestos. However, the company said they will follow up with Alberta Environment and Parks on the matter. Furthermore, the response by Alberta Health Services and Wheatland County representatives to NAP 2017’s concerns regarding the recent incidents remained lackluster.
“This is wrong,” said Dennis Kiemeny, president of NAP 2017. “Nobody has done anything. If we hadn’t stepped up to get this far nobody would do anything. If we wouldn’t have formed a group and fought like we have there would be nothing happening. We’d all get sick and die out here.”
On Oct. 15 residents saw thick black smoke rise into the sky – a sight that could be seen from the northern outskirts of Strathmore. A local officer told a crowd of bystanders watching from the road that material – sulphur – inside a conveyer belt caught on fire and set the piece of equipment on fire. Yet Transitional Solutions associate consultant Cynthia Goddard denied the claim, stating police officers had not released an official statement to the media but confirmed a piece of diesel-fuelled equipment caught on fire and remains under investigation by the Wheatland County Fire Department and RCMP.
“The sulphur did not catch fire, the piece of equipment caught fire,” said Goddard. “Based on the information I had yesterday, there is no need to be concerned, it was extinguished and there is no residual smoldering.”
Goddard added that the Emergency Response Plan did not need to be activated, as there was no immediate threat to the surrounding area.
GFL bought the Bio-Can facility roughly six months ago, and following much criticism and scrutiny, announced they have since complied with regulations to store less than 100 tonnes of sulphur, removed all excess drywall material, installed a fence with screening to help prevent debris and litter from spreading to surrounding areas, and received a positive review from Occupational Health and Safety.
Yet surrounding neighbours and community members remain unconvinced. Residents are concerned with dust, garbage, a smell and their overall health, and so far many of their concerns have landed on deaf ears.
“They’ve been covering up all this time but nobody will believe us,” said Kiemeny. “There is a lady in Nightingale and her kids are sick. She’s beside herself and doesn’t know what to do with her kids and the doctors told her it’s from sulphur. Now she hears asbestos and it’s even worse. We all need to be screened and tested.”
NAP 2017 say they will continue to contact local and provincial representatives and organizations to have the drywall tested by a third party.