By Derek Dunn, InsideOttawaValley, February 6, 2020 The source of
contamination at the Arnprior landfill remains a mystery, town staff
recently reported to council. The above provincially-approved levels of
leachate in groundwater and surface water could be from the Arnprior Waste
Disposal Site itself. Or from the former lumber yard the town obtained in
1996. Or the railway tracks. Or even from road salt.
Two things are for certain: it is persistent and not found naturally at those levels.
“It could be from the landfill, but not necessarily from the landfill,” said Deanna Nicholson, town environmental engineering officer. She presented a report on the issue at the Jan. 13 meeting, and later spoke to Metroland Media. “The intention is to understand what is happening. It’s not trying to pass the buck. It’s legitimately trying to find the cause.”