A major waste treatment and disposal site is proposed to operate in our area, accepting waste from all of Ontario. The community has an opportunity to send comments and/or questions to the Ontario Ministry of the Environment by April 24. 

The company sent a notice to some residents who live very near the site.  An excerpt: 2683517 Ontario is proposing to construct an organics processing center (OPC) and anaerobic digester facility at 633 Coronation Drive. The facility will accept 1,240 tonnes a day (452,600 tonnes/ year) of non-hazardous waste, or up to 1,240 cubic meters of non-hazardous liquid waste per day. The service area for the facility is the province of Ontario. This facility will operate 24/7 365 days a year. The anaerobic digester system will process organics from the OPC to generate biogas and organic fertilizer called digestate. All feedstocks will be received and processed inside the OPC

Excerpts from the Ministry’s Amended Environmental Compliance Approval (2019): for approval of a 1.72 hectare Waste Disposal Site to be used for the transfer and processing of non-hazardous waste generated in the Greater Toronto Area (GTA) and surrounding municipalities. This document notes there will be an Open Permit Storage Area for the temporary storage of 20,000 tonnes of wood waste, concrete, brick and block. 

In this document the definition of organic waste “means any waste managed by the owner operating West Hill Recovery.” To date we have little information on what is in the incoming streams, liquid or solid, or timelines and policies for monitoring potential hazardous emissions, e.g. dioxins, furans, mercury, lead. 

Truck Traffic is not mentioned. To move this waste in and out every day, an estimated 80 heavy trucks will enter and leave the plant 24//7. A route through the Centennial area to Port Union is a distinct possibility. A few residents have contacted the ministry urging more time and opportunity for public information, and/or consideration of an environmental assessment for this major and novel Waste Disposal Site situated close to a community. 

https://www.accessenvironment.ene.gov.on.ca/instruments/0608-AWLKA4-14.pdf

Comments and questions to:  Part V Director, Waste Approvals, Environmental Approvals Branch, Ministry of the Environment, Conservation, and Parks, 135 St.Clair Avenue West, floor 1, Toronto, Ontario, M4V 1P5.

Barbara McElgunn, Allen Elias, Jim Wakefield and Don York

A major waste treatment and disposal site is proposed to operate in our area, accepting waste from all of Ontario. The community has an opportunity to send comments and/or questions to the Ontario Ministry of the Environment by April 24. 

The company sent a notice to some residents who live very near the site.  An excerpt: 2683517 Ontario is proposing to construct an organics processing center (OPC) and anaerobic digester facility at 633 Coronation Drive. The facility will accept 1,240 tonnes a day (452,600 tonnes/ year) of non-hazardous waste, or up to 1,240 cubic meters of non-hazardous liquid waste per day. The service area for the facility is the province of Ontario. This facility will operate 24/7 365 days a year. The anaerobic digester system will process organics from the OPC to generate biogas and organic fertilizer called digestate. All feedstocks will be received and processed inside the OPC

Excerpts from the Ministry’s Amended Environmental Compliance Approval (2019): for approval of a 1.72 hectare Waste Disposal Site to be used for the transfer and processing of non-hazardous waste generated in the Greater Toronto Area (GTA) and surrounding municipalities. This document notes there will be an Open Permit Storage Area for the temporary storage of 20,000 tonnes of wood waste, concrete, brick and block. 

In this document the definition of organic waste “means any waste managed by the owner operating West Hill Recovery.” To date we have little information on what is in the incoming streams, liquid or solid, or timelines and policies for monitoring potential hazardous emissions, e.g. dioxins, furans, mercury, lead. 

Truck Traffic is not mentioned. To move this waste in and out every day, an estimated 80 heavy trucks will enter and leave the plant 24//7. A route through the Centennial area to Port Union is a distinct possibility. A few residents have contacted the ministry urging more time and opportunity for public information, and/or consideration of an environmental assessment for this major and novel Waste Disposal Site situated close to a community. 

https://www.accessenvironment.ene.gov.on.ca/instruments/0608-AWLKA4-14.pdf

Comments and questions to:  Part V Director, Waste Approvals, Environmental Approvals Branch, Ministry of the Environment, Conservation, and Parks, 135 St.Clair Avenue West, floor 1, Toronto, Ontario, M4V 1P5.

Barbara McElgunn, Allen Elias, Jim Wakefield and Don York