Rural neighbours of a proposed fill site to improve agriculture are concerned about negative impacts on their farmland.

And Julia Schmidt and Pat Desroschers told council the fill, in the 23600-block of 16 Avenue will also impact a wetland and a Class A waterway.

The landowner is applying to the Agricultural Land Commission, to truck in 5,300 loads of material, to fill portions of the property to a depth of 1.2 metres.

Schmidt said the area residents are reliant on wells, and are concerned about the impact of the new fill on their drinking water supply, and about drainage problems that could result on adjacent farmland.

She told council it is not clear why the fill is required for improving grazing of livestock, and residents have noted other fill sites in the area, where stipulations for the fill placement were not followed.

And Desroschers said that the land had been used previously for livestock grazing, and could easily be improved by contouring, without dumping.

In one fill site in the area, the landowner had permission to cover the site in up to 10 inches of fill, but “more than three feet of fill was in place.”

“We feel a fill site is basically a development site, and should have a (performance) bond in place,” Desroschers said.

Township administrator Mark Bakken said that the Township, while required to monitor fill sites, doesn’t have the authority to deny them.

The Agricultural Land Commission makes that decision, based on improved agriculture capability.

Bakken said the best argument the residents opposed to the fill can make is that adjacent farmland will be negatively impacted, and also that the filling will impact fish bearing streams.

Councillor Charlie Fox said he had a great deal of concern about the fill application too, noting the same applicant has another site in Langley that has remained unfinished, for three years.

“This area has been under attack by fill operations,” said Fox, adding the same area has also suffered other ongoing abuses, including desecration of wildlife areas, and the dumping of dead horses.

And Councillor Steve Ferguson said that while the Township gets stuck with regulating the fill sites, it gets little benefit.

“When the site is filled, you see a For Sale sign go up,” said Ferguson, adding that the soil deposit applications seem to be “not much about agriculture.”

To a question from Councillor Kim Richter, Bakken said that if the Township refuses to allow a fill approved by the ALC, the applicant could seek a court order to proceed, as well as damages and costs.

Bakken said however that Township staff can help the residents to prepare their arguments to the land commission.

And council unanimously passed a motion, by Fox, to send a letter to the land commission, and to the Department of Fisheries and Oceans, and the Minister of Agriculture, expressing opposition to the fill application.