The City of Richmond advanced this week a new bylaw requiring a permit for soil removal and fill projects on Agricultural Land Reserve sites.
The new bylaw was sparked by controversy surrounding a parcel of land on Finn Road, which was blockaded by local farmers protesting over the dumping of fill materials. However, the new law still has to be rubber-stamped by the province, which has jurisdiction over farmland.
Concerned farmers and residents, many of whom had formed a group called FarmWatch, packed out city hall Monday night to pile pressure onto city council to change the rules regarding soil removal and fill dumping.
Their worries centred around possible contamination from the toxicity from concrete and asphalt, leaching harmful chemicals into the soil.
The property owners said the materials were being used to construct a road bed through a future tree farm on the 35-acre site.
They told city council Monday night that a road is needed to support a large-scale operation on the site.
Council was told that the large concrete pieces have been broken up and metal removed and that the asphalt has been taken away.
Under the new law, a $600 permit will be required before any soil is removed or filling in is carried out on farmland and a fine of up to $10,000 per day can be issued for infractions.
