Bear conflicts, illegal dumping will increase if rural dump closed, warns MLA

The newly-reelected MLA for Kluane says he already has plans to present a petition as soon as legislature reconvenes. 

The petition opposes the scheduled closure of the Silver City waste transfer station and the imposition of new fees at Destruction Bay transfer station.

Wade Istchenko says closing the Silver City station would be a mistake.

Plans to close the facility were announced in 2019 alongside the scheduled closures of stations in Keno City, Braeburn and Johnson's Crossing.

At the time Yukon Minister of Community Services John Streicker said the stations were "not financially or environmentally sustainable."

Istchenko says closing these stations will cause problems.

"If they close it, we'll have human bear conflicts we'll start to see garbage strung out in the our gravel pits again. Basically everything was working fine there," he said. 

Petition circulating in community

So far more than 70 people, residents of Destruction Bay and the surrounding area, have signed the petition.

Colin Gray, a retiree and resident of Destruction Bay, says the decision to close Silver City would force some people to drive to Haines Junction — about one hour's drive away — to dispose of garbage. 

He doesn't think everyone would.

"It's a real concern here that people will start dumping on any old side road, or getting a burn barrel going which has two hazards — one being a fire hazard, the second being a bear hazard," he said. 

Silver City used by First Nations, businesses: MLA

The Silver City rural waste transfer station is accessible off the Alaska Highway, just outside Champagne Aishihik First Nation settlement lands. 

The site is used by both Kluane First Nation and Champagne Aishihik cultural camps as well as local companies and mining-related industries, Gray said.

 The Yukon government started collecting fees at some rural transfer stations in 2020, with plans to expand the collection of fees to more sites by 2022. 

Istchenko says he doesn't think that will generate revenue in Destruction Bay.

"They're probably going to have to run internet in there, so you can have swipe machine, and the cost to them will be way more than what they bring in," he said.

Istchenko says he agrees with the residents' petition and plans to bring it forward whenever he is able. 

"It doesn't matter who is the government," he said. "I am standing up for my constituents and that petition will be put forward in the legislature in some way or another, and it will be discussed."

"Hopefully the government of the day will hopefully go out and actually consult, and talk to the residents of a rural area, instead of making a decision from an office somewhere in Whitehorse," he said.

CBC asked Yukon's Department of Community Services before the election about its plans for the sites, but received the response that the department was "unable to provide further information on current or future strategies of the Yukon government" at that time.