Managing Our Waste : Landfills : New Brunswick Solid Waste Association

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New Brunswick Environmental Trust Fund

Managing Our Waste

Sanitary Landfills

In 1998, New Brunswick became the first Canadian province to close all of its old dumpsites and make the move to a system of regional sanitary landfills. Instead of over 300 open dumps scattered throughout New Brunswick's landscape, six regional sanitary landfills now house all of New Brunswick's waste.

Landfills vs. Dumps
Sanitary landfills are designed and built with public health and environmental protection in mind, and meet the strictest environmental standards. In comparison, a traditional dump exposes the environment to such risks as air and groundwater pollution. The primary pollutant in a dump or landfill is leachate, a toxic brew of sediments and chemicals that results when water percolates down through layers of garbage. In a sanitary landfill, layers of clay and high-density polyethylene liners prevent leachate from escaping and leachate collection systems are put in place to collect the leachate and send it to a leachate treatment facility before the cleaned water is discharged into the surrounding environment.

Transfer Stations In addition, COGEDES, Kent County Solid Waste Commission, Kings County Region Solid Waste Commission, Restigouche Solid Waste Corporation and Valley Solid Waste Commission operate transfer stations. A transfer station acts as a central collection point; individual garbage trucks deposit their loads into a tractor-trailer and, once full, the tractor-trailer hauls the region's waste to the appropriate sanitary landfill. Transfer stations reduce transportation costs as smaller collection vehicles need only travel a few kilometres to deposit their loads. Like landfills, they also operate under strict environmental regulations.

Current Landfills
The six sanitary landfills in new Brunswick include:

Fredericton Region Sanitary Landfill (operated by Fredericton Region Solid Waste Commission)
Located on the Wilsey Road in Fredericton, it receives waste from the region managed by the Fredericton Region Solid Waste Commission. It is currently the only landfill in the province to bale garbage.
Red Pine Sanitary Landfill (operated by Nepisiguit-Chaleur Solid Waste Commission)
Located in Allardville, it receives waste from north-eastern New Brunswick (regions managed by Nepisiguit-Chaleur Solid Waste Commission, Restigouche Solid Waste Corporation, COGEDES and Northumberland Solid Waste Commission).
Westmorland-Albert Sanitary Landfill (operated by Westmorland-Albert Solid Waste Corporation)
Located in Berry Mills, it receives waste from south-eastern New Brunswick (regions managed by Westmorland-Albert Solid Waste Corporation, Kent Solid Waste Commission and Kings County Region Solid Waste Commission).
Hemlock Knoll Sanitary Landfill (operated by South West Solid Waste Commission)
Located in Lawrence Station, it accepts waste from south-western New Brunswick (region managed by the South West Solid Waste Commission). Fifty-percent of the waste from the region managed by the Valley Solid Waste Commission is also sent to this landfill for disposal.
Crane Mountain Sanitary Landfill (operated by Fundy Region Solid Waste Commission)
Located on Saint John's northern boundary near the Town of Grand Bay-Westfield, it receives waste from the areas managed by the Fundy Regional Solid Waste Commission.
Montagne-de-la-Croix Sanitary Landfill (operated by COGERNO)
Located in Green River (Rivière-Verte), it accepts waste from north-western New Brunswick (region managed by COGERNO). Fifty-percent of the waste from the region managed by the Valley Solid Waste Commission is also sent to this landfill for disposal.

To see a map of New Brunswick's 12 Solid Waste Commissions, click here.

Find out more about Solid Waste Management
For more information about Solid Waste, click on the links below

Sanitary Landfills
Waste Diversion