Newsroom

Who is responsible for the Ninth Line Closed Landfill? 

The Town of Oakville owns the closed landfill site. Halton Region monitors and maintains the site.

Who determines if the monitoring program for the Ninth Line Closed Landfill is adequate and appropriate?

The Ministry of the Environment, Conservation and Parks determines whether the monitoring program conducted by Halton Region meets provincial standards and best practices.

What are the results of the monitoring activities for the Ninth Line Closed Landfill site?

The Ministry of the Environment, Conservation and Parks has confirmed that the monitoring program undertaken by Halton Region meets provincial best practices and is appropriate for the site. Recent data from monitoring activities shows no significant impacts, particularly in groundwater quality and overall environmental safety. Data will be made available on our websites as soon as possible and is available on request.

Why aren’t soil samples part of the monitoring program?

Landfill impacts are more readily detected in water than in soil. The monitoring program prioritizes ground and surface water monitoring following best practices.

What does the environmental monitoring program involve?

The program includes testing for subsurface gas, surface water, groundwater, and leachate. Key data points from the monitoring program:

• Subsurface combustible gas monitoring – Annual reporting 
• Surface water monitoring – Every two years 
• Groundwater and leachate monitoring – Every five years 

When was the most recent monitoring completed?

• Subsurface combustible gas monitoring – 2024 (ongoing, report available in early 2025)
• Surface water monitoring – 2022
• Groundwater and leachate monitoring – 2019/2020

What have the monitoring results shown?

The collected data consistently shows no significant impacts on ground or surface water quality or health risks to residents. Reports are available below.

What is the Environmental Monitoring Plan?

Halton Region manages the Ninth Line Closed Landfill on behalf of the Town of Oakville. The Environmental Management Plan (EMP) (PDF file) for the Ninth Line Closed Landfill includes:

• Outline of the site history
• Physical setting
• Monitoring results
• Study results
• Asset condition assessment
• Discussion of the results
• Conclusions, recommendations and cost analysis for future works

The objective of the EMP is to ensure that the environmental impacts of the closed landfill site are minimized. The basis for the EMP includes comprehensive review of historical monitoring documents as well as the subsequent monitoring programs. Any additional findings based on the ongoing monitoring are also included in the final EMP.

In response to comments received from the Ministry of the Environment, Conservation and Parks on Halton Region’s 2018 EMP for the Closed Ninth Line Landfill Site, the Region executed the Action Plan contained within the final EMP in 2020 and 2021.

Where can I find a copy of previous monitoring reports for the Ninth Line Closed Landfill?

The most recent monitoring reports for the Ninth Line Closed Landfill are available via the links below:

• Ninth Line Closed Landfill – 2018 Environmental Management Plan (PDF file)
• Ninth Line Closed Landfill – 2020 Gas Emission Study (PDF file)
• Ninth Line Closed Landfill – 2020 Supplemental Monitoring Report (PDF file)
• Ninth Line Closed Landfill – 2021 Surface Water Monitoring Report (PDF file)
• Ninth Line Closed Landfill – 2021 Combustible Gas Monitoring Summary (PDF file)
• Ninth Line Closed Landfill – 2022 Combustible Gas Monitoring Summary (PDF file)
• Ninth Line Closed Landfill – 2022 Supplemental Sampling Letter (PDF file)
• Ninth Line Closed Landfill – 2023 Combustible Gas Monitoring Summary (PDF file)

Monitoring reports from 2023/2024 program are ongoing and will be uploaded to this page when complete.

How does the Town of Oakville and Halton Region respond to misinformation in the community? 

The Town of Oakville and Halton Region counters misinformation with verified facts and transparent data. The goal is to ensure residents have access to accurate and reassuring information.

Social media is referencing three sites, who is responsible for the other two sites?

A property on the northeast corner of Joshua Creek and Upper Middle Road, commonly known as “The Parkway,” is owned by the Province of Ontario. A third location being referenced online is owned by the Ford Motor Company. The MECP has indicated these sites have negligible impact on Joshua Creek (PDF file).

Should residents be concerned about statements being made about the Ninth Line Closed Landfill site?

Residents are encouraged to seek information from reputable sources. While some statements on social media contain misinformation, Halton Region and the Town of Oakville are committed to providing residents with accurate and factual information.

Are there any elevated health risks, such as cancer, associated with the closed landfill?

Halton Region actively monitors cancer incidence and mortality rates in the region, and current data indicates no elevated cancer risk associated with the closed landfills in Halton.

How can residents access environmental and health data?

The Town of Oakville and Halton Region are committed to transparency and to providing the community with clear information on health and environmental standards.

• December 2024: UPDATED - Rapid Assessment of Cancer Rates in Joshua Creek (includes data on cancer incidence (new diagnoses) and mortality (deaths) (PDF file).
• November 2024: Rapid Assessment of Cancer Rates in Joshua Creek (PDF file).

What do cancer rates look like in Joshua Creek?

Cancer mortality rates in Joshua Creek are below those of Halton Region and Ontario.

The Ontario Cancer Registry (OCR) is the main data source for information on cancer diagnoses among Ontario residents. Ontario Health (Cancer Care Ontario) maintains the OCR. Safeguarding confidential information is a guiding principle for Ontario Health (Cancer Care Ontario). All activities – from the initial registration of a new cancer case in the OCR, through to research and reporting – are governed by the Personal Health Information Protection Act, 2004. This Ontario law governs the collection and use of data, and the disclosure of personal health information. The act designates Ontario Health as a prescribed entity and authorizes the organization to collect, use and disclose personal health information for the purposes of managing and planning Ontario’s health system. Hence, local Public Health Units, including Halton Region Public Health, do not have access to data from the OCR other than from existing reports and tools. Therefore, for smaller areas such as Joshua Creek, data requests must be made to Ontario Health. Halton Region Public Health has submitted a data request to Ontario Health (Cancer Care Ontario) for cancer incidence statistics for the Joshua Creek area and the Town of Oakville.

How do cancer rates in Halton compare to provincial averages?

The Halton Region Cancer Report (PDF file) shows that cancer incidence and mortality rates in Halton are below Ontario averages. Halton Region Public Health findings confirm that cancer mortality in Joshua Creek is lower than in Halton and Ontario.

Is there any concern about the presence of radon gas in the Joshua Creek area?

Radon is a naturally occurring gas that can be found in homes and buildings across many areas in Halton and in Ontario. At this time, there are no known concerns regarding elevated levels of radon gas in Joshua Creek. The only way to confirm elevated radon in homes is to test for radon in individual homes. Learn more about radon testing.

How are the Town of Oakville and Halton Region addressing community concerns raised by recent online messages?

The Town of Oakville and Halton Region are dedicated to providing transparent and accurate updates to residents. To receive notifications about updates, please email accesshalton@halton.ca and request to join our mailing list for the Joshua Creek Closed Landfill site.