Landfill owner pleads not guilty
Daniel Ambrosi at the scene of the fire in 2007. He has pleaded not guilty to a number of charges relating to the blaze at his Owl Road landfill.
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Updated: July 10, 2009 3:40 PM
The owner of a Kamloops landfill that went up in flames in 2007 will get his day in court after pleading not guilty to a string of environmental charges.
Daniel Ambrosi, owner of the Owl Road Landfill in Valleyview, entered not guilty pleas this week and learned his trial will last two days.
Ambrosi was charged in February following a lengthy investigation by the Ministry of Environment.
He and his business, Valleyview Enterprises Ltd., are facing a total of six charges — two for failing to apply cover material to on-site waste, two for failing to maintain adequate on-site firefighting systems and two for failing to submit annual reports.
Under the Environmental Management Act, landfill operators are required to cover their waste with soil every five days to prevent fires and ensure that appropriate steps have been taken to allow any potential blazes to be snuffed out quickly.
After the charges were laid in February, Ministry of Environment investigator Kelly Dahl told KTW the investigation into the Owl Road Landfill began after a June 2007 fire that burned through 80 per cent of the site's waste and left a toxic black cloud over the Valleyview facility.
Ambrosi could face fines of up to $300,000 and six months in jail.
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