North Simcoe Landfill (Site 41)

North Simcoe Landfill (Site 41)
The electoral riding of Simcoe North in southern Ontario.

North Simcoe Landfill (Site 41) was a planned 20.7 hectare (50 acre) landfill site for municipal waste in northern Simcoe County, 40 kilometres northwest of Barrie, Ontario. The site would have received waste from municipalities of Midland, Penetanguishene, Tiny and Tay. The site was slated to begin operation in the fall of 2009, however, Simcoe County Council voted in September 2009 to shelve the project after a massive public protest.

County officials claimed the site would use a combination of natural and engineered features to provide containment and protection for the natural environment. Opponents say it was too large of a threat to local groundwater.

Contents

Background

Plans for Site 41 were established to provide the four north Simcoe County with municipalities of Midland, Penetanguishene, Tiny and Tay with a local waste disposal site.[1] These municipalities, along with Port McNicoll and Victoria Harbour, had been using a site known as the Pauze landfill since 1966. Hydrogeological surveys of the Pauze landfill in 1982 and 1983 revealed a leachate plume migrating towards Nottawasaga Bay, and evidence of the illegal dumping of liquid industrial waste. Consequently, the landfill was closed in October 1987, and a new water system would have to be constructed for the impacted residents of Perkinsfield.[2]

There are estimates that there is less than 10 years left of waste disposal capacity for North Simcoe, a capacity that was shortened by the diversion of waste originally intended for the Pauze landfill to others in the county, causing the premature closure of one of them.[1] From 1995-2008 Simcoe County hauled more than 200,400 tonnes of waste from the four North Simcoe municipalities to sites elsewhere in the county at an estimated cost of $7.25 million. Throughout the process the County considered alternatives and stepped up its efforts to divert waste from landfill. Since 2003 diversion of curbside waste has tripled and by the end of 2009 the County will have reached a diversion rate of 60 per cent overall.[1]

Approvals

The site had to pass many Ministry of the Environment approvals associated with opening the waste site, including the Environmental Assessment Act, the Environmental Protection Act, Design and Operations Plan approval, Certificate of Approval and a Permit to Take Water. In total, the process has taken 30 years.[1]

In 1989, an Environmental Assessment Board rejected an application for Site 41. The board was highly critical of the methodology that went into selecting potential sites for landfilling, including issues of considering the hydrogeologic acceptability of sites, prioritizing other considerations such as lot size and ownership, narrowing its search options, and not having a clear and 'traceable' process that led to the selection of Site 41. While the board accepted evidence that Site 41 would be hydrogeologically suitable, it would be the flawed methodology of site selection that led it to its ruling.[2] The county challenged the decision by going to the Lieutenant Governor in Council regarding the decision, where the hearing was adjourned in order to allow the county to produce more evidence of investigating other alternative sites.[3]

Resuming hearings on Site 41 was challenged by a group known as Wye Citizens' Group and the Township of Tiny. The site received Environmental Assessment Act and Environmental Protection Act approvals in 1995.[3]

Construction

Construction of the site was supposed to be implemented in six phases, with each phase anticipated to last between four to eight years. As clay is excavated, groundwater located in a sand layer of soil directly below the clay will be pumped out to prevent upward water pressure from causing breaks in the clay base. Pumping, if required, was estimated to last only three to six months during the construction of each phase and would cease once sufficient ballast is in place. The first phase was supposed to be operational in the fall of 2009.

Natural Protective Features

Simcoe County claims a "hydraulic trap" or upward hydraulic gradient means that groundwater at the site is under upward pressure and will not allow potential contaminants to enter. A layer of clay which ranges from 3.6 to 12 metres in depth restricts upward water flow to 11 millimetres per year.

Engineered Protective Features

Construction of the landfill cells includes:

  • a high density polyethylene liner that is supposed to prevent leachate from leaving the site. The liner serves a second function in preventing the entry of water under upward pressure.
  • A collection system will continuously divert leachate for treatment at an off-site waste water facility.
    • The system consists of a filter layer of
    • stone,
    • a porous geotextile separator layer,
    • a 500-millimetre layer of 50-millimetre drainage gravel,
    • perforated high density polyethylene drainage pipe at 30-metre intervals, and
    • a geotextile cushion layer against the liner.

If the site opens, a system of groundwater wells is supposed to be monitored to confirm the protective features functioning as designed.

Controversy

The proposed location is above the Alliston aquifer. The aquifer stretches from Georgian Bay to the Oak Ridges Moraine, and allegedly has some of the purest water on earth, however the county states that these results are from a limited sample, and groundwater at the site sometimes does not meet Ontario Drinking Water Standards.[1][4] Much public opposition stemmed from the fact the site is located on the aquifer, and from the general distrust of municipal servants after the Pauze landfill incident. In addition, the municipality of Tiny withdrew from the North Simcoe Waste Management Association (NSWMA) in 1986 due to a perceived lack of concern over Tiny's agricultural land, and the NSWMA's handling of the environmental assessment.[2]

A group of local citizens, including a deputation of aboriginal women, started a protest movement against the landfill plans and camped at the site to prevent construction. Simcoe County responded by having more than a dozen protesters charged with mischief.[5][6] Opposition to the site also included former US presidential candidate Ralph Nader, Council of Canadians president Maude Barlow and Canadian environmentalist David Suzuki.[7] The protests were captured in the 2010 Canadian documentary film Water On The Table.

The County has invested $10 million in costs for land acquisition, consulting fees, site development, and legal and consulting fees for challenges by opponents to the site.[1]

Discontinuing development and future plans

In August 2009, Simcoe County voted to put a one-year moratorium on the development of Site 41.

On September 22, 2009, Simcoe county council voted to permanently discontinue any plans for the site. The county states that it only has a seven-year capacity left for waste without Site 41, so a consulting firm is now examining a new waste management plan.

There are also lingering concerns over the fact that the Certificate of Approval for the site has not been revoked.[5] The county has not ruled out using the site for other waste management purposes, such as for recycling.[8]

On May 26, 2010 the operating certificate protecting the property from ever being used for waste disposal again.

References

External links


Wikimedia Foundation. 2010.

Игры ⚽ Нужно решить контрольную?

Look at other dictionaries:

  • Orillia — For the former community in Washington State, see Orillia, Washington. City of Orillia Waterfront of Orillia Nickname(s): The Sunshine City …   Wikipedia

  • Scarborough, Ontario — Scarborough   Dissolved municipality   Skyline of Scarborough City Centre …   Wikipedia

  • CKSL — City of license London, Ontario Branding Oldies 1410 Slogan Good Times, Great Oldies …   Wikipedia

  • Whitchurch–Stouffville — Town of Whitchurch–Stouffville   Town   Main Street, Whitchurch–Stouffville …   Wikipedia

  • David Miller (Canadian politician) — For other people named David Miller, see David Miller (disambiguation). David Raymond Miller David Miller launching ICT Toronto 63rd Mayor of Toronto In office …   Wikipedia

  • Toronto — This article is about the city in Canada. For other uses, see Toronto (disambiguation). City of Toronto redirects here. For the municipal government, see municipal government of Toronto. For the historical part of the city, see Old Toronto.… …   Wikipedia

  • Exhibition Place — Looking East from the CNE Ferris Wheel (National Trade Centre at left, Automotive Building at right). T …   Wikipedia

  • Toronto waterfront — The Toronto waterfront is the lakeshore of Lake Ontario in the City of Toronto, Ontario in Canada. It spans 46 kilometres between the mouth of Etobicoke Creek in the west, and the Rouge River in the East. The entire lakeshore has been… …   Wikipedia

  • Harbourfront — This page concerns the development near the waterfront in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. For the waterfront site in Singapore, see HarbourFront. Harbourfront is a neighbourhood on the northern shore of Lake Ontario within the downtown core of the city …   Wikipedia

  • Maple, Ontario — Maple   Unincorporated community   Wonder Mountain at Canada s Wonderland is an unusual landmark in Maple …   Wikipedia

Share the article and excerpts

Direct link
Do a right-click on the link above
and select “Copy Link”