LANDFILL company SITA gave media a tour of its Shale Road facility in South Cardup last Thursday afternoon.
The Shale Road site is a similar facility to the proposed landfill at Allawuna Farm, 18 kilometres west of York, and is due to reach capacity in about two years.
SITA general manager Nial Stock led the tour. "The site at Shale Road is a lot more environmentally sensitive than Allawuna Farm and we have never had any impact on groundwater," Mr Stock said.
"The Allawauna site has extremely slow water movement in comparison and receives a lot less rainfall.
"This site also carries twice as many big trucks compared to a possible Allawuna landfill."
Mr Stock also reinforced SITA is not interested in mining clay.
"The Allawuna site would be so far out of York nobody would even know it was there," Mr Stock said.
"I understand the road concerns with Great Southern Highway, but they would exist whether there was a landfill there or not."
SITA's Shale Road facility began operations in 1999 and is licenced to accept Class II waste which includes municipal, commercial and industrial solid waste. Mr Stock also said a possible Allawuna Farm landfill would provide up to 24 full time employees.
The Allawuna landfill is currently at referral stage with the Environmental Protection Auth ority.
A community information booklet detailing key features of the proposal was due to be distributed to York residents.