York1 filed court challenge over landfill project months before Ford government proposed rollback
York1 Environmental Waste Solutions Ltd. filed a judicial review application on July 29, 2024, seeking to overturn the province's designation regulation that placed its project under Ontario's comprehensive environmental assessment process.
A copy of the court filing and confirmation of the legal action were provided to CTV News by York1.
The application was filed in Divisional Court in London, Ont.
CTV News has contacted the Ministry of the Environment, Conservation and Parks for confirmation and comment and is awaiting a response.
Timeline of events: Dresden landfill proposal
March 11, 2024 – While speaking in Windsor, Premier Doug Ford is asked about the proposed landfill near Dresden. He says he's unfamiliar with the issue but adds: 'If people like something, we do it. If they don't, we don't do it. It's about as simple as that.'
– While speaking in Windsor, Premier Doug Ford is asked about the proposed landfill near Dresden. He says he's unfamiliar with the issue but adds: March 15, 2024 – Former Minister of Environment, Conservation and Parks Andrea Khanjin announces the project will be subject to a comprehensive environmental assessment, under Ontario Regulation 284/24.
– Former Minister of Environment, Conservation and Parks Andrea Khanjin announces the project will be subject to a comprehensive environmental assessment, under Ontario Regulation 284/24. July 29, 2024 – York1 files a judicial review application, arguing the designation contradicts prior guidance the company says it received in 2022 from the Ministry of the Environment, Conservation and Parks, indicating a screening-level EA would apply.
– York1 files a judicial review application, arguing the designation contradicts prior guidance the company says it received in 2022 from the Ministry of the Environment, Conservation and Parks, indicating a screening-level EA would apply. April 17, 2025 – The Ford government introduces Bill 5, which proposes to eliminate the EA requirement for the Dresden site — effectively reversing the March 2024 decision that York1 is challenging in court.
York1 argues in court filings that the province's shifting position — from limited EA, to full EA and now a possible exemption — created uncertainty and made the project 'unfeasible.'
The company says it purchased the Irish School Road property in 2022 after receiving written guidance from the Ministry outlining regulatory expectations for a regenerative recycling facility accepting construction and demolition waste.
A 2022 letter from the Ministry, provided by York1, states that a screening-level environmental assessment would be required for certain aspects of the project — not a comprehensive one.
The project has faced widespread opposition from Dresden residents.
Chatham-Kent Council has unanimously opposed the proposal, and municipal officials say the site's historic environmental approvals — dating back to the 1970s and 1990s — no longer meet modern standards.
York1, meanwhile, says it met with Chatham-Kent officials numerous times, and claims the municipality initially expressed support for the project — including the concept of a host-community agreement — before later reversing course.
The legal action preceded a wave of political scrutiny that has since intensified attention on the project.
In May 2025, Ontario Liberal MPP Ted Hsu asked the province's Integrity Commissioner to investigate possible connections between the Ford government and the landfill proposal — pointing to roughly $200,000 in political donations made since 2018 by members of the Brunetti family, York1 executives, and individuals tied to companies involved in the property's ownership.
Hsu has questioned the timing of those contributions, noting several were made around key regulatory decisions.
Asked about the donations, York1 spokesperson Laryssa Waler declined to comment on individual contributions, saying all political donations in Ontario are publicly reported and 'speak for themselves.'
The judicial review has not yet been scheduled for a hearing.
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