A landfill transaction worth potentially $4 million or more to Amaranth taxpayers has died, but the cause of death is unclear.

Township CAO Susan Stone denied in a phone interview that Amaranth Soil Management Facility Inc. (ASMF) had withdrawn its letter-of-intent to purchase the existing township dump because of opposition to the sale by the Amaranth Concerned Citizens Team (ACCT), a small group headed by township resident M. H. Lessard.

She indicated it was more likely for other reasons, and mentioned a required amendment to the certificate of approval (C of A) that would have triggered a full environmental assessment.

ASMF, owned by a numbered Ontario company headed by Wilf Goldluft of the Waterloo area, had made its $3-million purchase offer in the winter of 2010. Formal acceptance of the letter of intent outlining what might be termed a conditional offer, was by township bylaw 45- 10, which would have been passed in open council.

But township council came under almost immediate fire for having negotiated the terms behind closed doors.

Further opposition came through ACCT’s appearance on Goldhawk and its requests for support from the David Suzuki Foundation and the Canadian Water Quality Association. ACCT was contending that ASMF would be importing 70,000 cubic yards of toxic waste in its soil remediation program.

Toxic waste allegations were denied by ASMF consultant Conestoga-Rovers, who outlined plans for an engineered landfill site last May, and said the soils to be treated “to residential quality” would come from construction and agricultural sites.

At Conestoga-Rovers, consulting engineer Gregory Ferraro had not returned a phone message by press time Wednesday.

As a result, it’s not known whether public opposition killed the sale. The Dec. 14, 2011, minutes of Amaranth Council state simply: “It is understood that Amaranth Soil Management Facility Inc. had the obligation to meet all these (environmental) requirements throughout the approval process and determine if it wished to proceed. Amaranth Soil Management Facility Inc. has decided that it does not wish to proceed, and Township Council accepts its decision.”

Ms. Stone said that all necessary releases have since been executed.

Moving forward, the council will determine the future of the landfill site when the county takes over waste management Jan. 1, 2013, but notes that it remains a fully licensed landfill for garbage from within the township.