The Rural Municipality of Loreburn was found guilty of one count under The Environmental Protection Management Act for failing to comply with the terms and conditions of a permit to operate a waste disposal ground and was fined $2,800 in provincial court in Outlook.

The charges were laid as the result of a complaint received by the Ministry of Environment that the RM of Loreburn waste disposal ground was burning. Conservation officers investigated and found that household garbage was being burnt contrary to the conditions of the RM’s Permit to Operate a Waste Disposal Ground which had been issued to them under The Municipal Refuse Management Regulations. The RM was contacted and they were found to be responsible for the burning of their landfill. The RM had received previous warnings for burning their landfill in 2008.

“The unauthorized burning of waste disposal grounds can cause toxic chemicals to contaminate our air, land and water and be hazardous to human health and our environment,” Ministry of Environment Compliance and Field Services Executive Director Brent Webster said. “The Ministry of Environment permits landfills to burn clean lumber and trees at separate designated areas in the disposal ground but does not allow the burning of household garbage or mixed waste.”

Anyone who is aware of or who suspects environmental, wildlife or fisheries violations is encouraged to report them to the nearest Ministry of Environment office or to call the province’s toll-free Turn In Poachers (TIP) hotline at 1-800-667-7561 or #5555 for SaskTel cell phone subscribers. Callers may be eligible for cash rewards through the SASKTIP Reward program.