The Environment minister for Prince Edward Island, Canada, has introduced legislation that would ban the creation of new construction and demolition landfills.
According to published reports the legislations introduced by Jamie Ballem will kill applications for new sites in Ten Mile House, as well as another proposed site in West Prince.
"There was a moratorium, but one of the applications asked for a judicial review and the judge ruled, Judge Jenkins, that we didn't have the legal authority to issue a moratorium, there was nothing in the act for a moratorium," explained Ballem.
"So it is an amendment to the act rather than a change in regulations. And, the moratorium will be in place until cabinet decides we don't need it."
The changes have no effect on any of the six construction and demolition sites currently licensed for operation.
The government's Environmental Advisory Council has offered MLAs 46 recommendations on the operation of the of the sites.
It says there should only be two C & D sites on the Island; one near Charlottetown and another near Summerside.
The committee is also asking that the operations be taken out of the hands of private operators and handed to the Island Waste Management Corporation.
It wants sorting stations at the sites to encourage reuse and recycling of building materials, and says that the materials that do end up the pits should first be inspected by trained employees.
Ballem said the government is taking the report seriously, but needs time to decide if it will act on any of the recommendations. CBC News