Summary Description
The proposed CRRRC facility is intended to offer an option for institutional, commercial and industrial (IC&I) and construction and demolition (C&D) waste processing and recovery in the Capital Region. IC&I waste is the non-hazardous waste generated by offices, shopping centres and restaurants – the sort of waste collected in the waste company bins behind offices, shopping centres and restaurants. C&D waste is the material generated at construction and demolition sites. The proponents wish to advance the details of the proposed facility through consultation with the local community as part of the environmental assessment process as described below. Miller Waste Systems, one of the proponents, is a successful waste diversion company on the leading edge of designing and operating diversion facilities. Miller would like to extend the services it offers elsewhere and be part of the solution to both short term and longer term waste management needs in Eastern Ontario. If the environmental assessment process is successful and approval is received for this proposal, the proponents commit to make significant investments to build diversion and recovery facilities in anticipation of provincial regulations requiring increased diversion of commercial waste. The primary diversion components are envisaged to be: a materials recovery facility for commercial waste; construction & demolition waste processing; hydrocarbon contaminated soil treatment; surplus soil management; anaerobic digestion of organic waste from commercial sources; a drop off for separated materials or separation of materials; and, leaf and yard materials composting (if there is enough material available). The outputs from the organics processing will be bio-gas that, depending on quantity and quality, will be sent to an on-site electrical generation plant or an on-site flare; a high quality compost for use as a soil amendment and fertilizer; and, a non-organic residue for disposal. The organics digestion process will be equipped with a bio-filter for odour control. Space will also be available for other new waste diversion processes and technologies as they become proven and economically viable. While the focus of the CRRRC is on resource recovery and waste diversion, there will still be a volume of residual and non-diverted waste and materials requiring disposal. The CRRRC proposal envisages a combination of resource recovery and waste diversion facilities as well as a disposal component on the site in order to achieve a competitive blended fee for use of the services. An environmentally secure landfill is proposed for the disposal component of the CRRRC.
Environmental Assessment Consultation Process
The primary approval process for a facility such as the CRRRC is provincial, under the Environmental Assessment Act. Taggart Miller Environmental Services (Taggart Miller) initiated a public consultation process in November 2010 as part of the environmental assessment (EA) of the CRRRC. The consultation process is intended to gather input from the local community on the possibility of establishing the CRRRC on one of the two alternative sites, as well as on the configuration of the facility, should it proceed. The EA consultation process begins with consultation on a proposed Terms of Reference for the subsequent EA studies. The Terms of Reference have to be approved by the Minister of the Environment. The EA studies are undertaken in accordance with the approved Terms of Reference. Public consultation is an essential feature of the EA process throughout. There will be numerous formal and informal opportunities for Taggart Miller to consult with the stakeholders as the EA process unfolds.
Who are the Proponents?
Taggart Miller Environmental Services is a joint venture consisting of two Ontario-based companies--Taggart Investments Inc., and Miller Waste. Taggart Investments Inc., is part of the Taggart group of companies based in Ottawa, with interests in construction, engineering and property management. Miller Waste is a long established waste diversion and recycling company with a very successful reputation in delivering these systems and services to both private and public sector clients in other parts of Ontario, the Maritimes and Manitoba. Taggart and Miller are both family-owned and operated businesses for whom reputation is paramount and who look forward to working with the local community as partners in this project should it proceed.
Why is there a Need for Waste Diversion and Residuals Disposal Capacity in the Capital Region/Eastern Ontario?
The Province of Ontario has established an objective to divert 60% of waste materials from disposal. These waste materials are generated from households; from the Industrial, Commercial and Institutional (IC&I) sector; and from Construction and Demolition (C&D) projects. IC&I and C&D wastes comprise about 66 to 70% of the total provincial waste stream. Although significant progress has been made by municipalities and public participation in residential waste diversion is high, there is currently much less diversion being achieved in the IC&I sector. To date, the Ministry of the Environment has taken only limited action to drive the IC&I sector towards the provincial diversion target.
This is the result of a variety of circumstances that directly affect the management of IC&I and C&D wastes in Ontario, including the Capital Region/Eastern Ontario:
Although there are many longer term environmental and social benefits from properly implemented waste recycling and diversion efforts, there is a short term financial premium to be paid for diversion when compared to disposal.
For the most part, the IC&I sector contracts its waste management requirements to private sector waste management companies.
Provincial regulations drive the economics of diversion and/or disposal, and largely dictate the services that the waste management companies are able to economically offer to the market.
Mainly for this reason, there are only limited facilities and capacity for diversion of IC&I and C&D materials in the Capital Region/Eastern Ontario (and across the Province).
The timing and content of future regulations related to diversion of IC&I and C&D waste materials is unknown, but new regulations must be implemented by the province if diversion targets are to be achieved in future.
We believe that at least a few hundred thousand tonnes of IC&I and C&D waste per year are currently being transported from the Ottawa area alone to landfill sites in New York State.
The Capital Region Resource Recovery Centre (CRRRC)
The proposed CRRRC is envisaged as an integrated waste management facility:
It would provide resource recovery facilities to maximize diversion of IC&I and C&D waste materials from disposal.
The facility would provide much needed local IC&I and C&D diversion capacity, and will assist the City of Ottawa and Eastern Ontario in advancing towards their local diversion goals and the provincial target.
There is also a need for local commercial waste disposal capacity, and there will continue to be so even with increased diversion. The long distance transportation of commercial waste or residuals for disposal in the U.S. is neither desirable nor sustainable; nor is it consistent with provincial policy.
Currently and for the foreseeable future, IC&I / C&D recycling and diversion facilities need the support of residual disposal capacity to be viable and sustainable.
The proposed diversion components of this facility would not only reduce the quantity of materials requiring disposal, but will also generate products with commercial value. The organics processing would remove organic materials from the portion of the waste stream that has a high organic content. This will minimize the potential environmental impacts of the residuals disposal component of the proposed facility.
Where is the CRRRC Proposed to be Located?
There are two alternative sites proposed by Taggart Miller for the CRRRC project:
Why is the CRRRC Being Proposed at these Locations?
There is demonstrated need for an IC&I and C&D resource recovery facility to serve Ottawa and Eastern Ontario.
The North Russell Road Site is partially a former industrial (aggregate extraction) site that has been in operation for about 100 years and has already been disturbed by and is partially zoned for this previous activity. The Boundary Road Site is located on land that is partly zoned heavy industrial and has an industrial park adjacent to it.
Both sites are centrally located within the proposed expected primary service area for the facility.
Both sites have good access to and from Highway 417.
Such a facility requires a site with suitable size and physical characteristics; the proponents believe both these sites meet those requirements.
Both sites have different attributes and advantages and it is proposed that the preferred site will be determined as a first step in the EA study process.
Potential Benefits for the Host Municipality and its Residents
A multi-million dollar “green business” industrial/commercial development.
A leading-edge recovery facility.
Increased municipal tax revenue.
Provision of local jobs and purchase of local services during construction, operation, and after closure.
Opportunities for research and development of new technologies and businesses associated with the CRRRC and the materials and products it recovers.
Opportunities for the municipality and the CRRRC to partner on wastewater treatment and other initiatives to their mutual benefit.
A Community Benefits package.
A local educational facility for responsible integrated waste management.