Friday, April 19, 2013
LOCATION, LOCATION, LOCATION - BIOSOLIDS CONTROVERSY
Last Wednesday Luisa D'Amato had a good Opinion column in the Waterloo Region Record titled "Resistance to biosolids plant no surprise". Luisa gave us a number of accurate reasons why dealing with this issue locally is far better environmentally than trucking it to the Niagara area as we have been doing. Luisa also made it clear how the Region essentially screwed up in their siting for this local biosolids plant. There seems to be a bit of an attitude from various levels of politicians. They seem to think that if a plan is to the benefit of the majority then the minority negatively affected have to just suck it up. Strange but I wonder when the last landfill, sewage treatment plant, biosolids plant, chemical company or licensed hazardous waste site was located next door to any sitting politician?
Maybe it's long overdue that municipal and regional planning departments set aside significant parcels of land expressly for the siting of these necessary but nasty enterprises. Putting any of them anywhere near residential housing, schools or operating commercial enterprises is just asking for major headaches and conflicts. It's one thing having the technology (and even that's in question) but without a suitable location we are no further ahead. Seriously could the Region not find a suitable site, serviced by roads etc. a few miles further out of town, away from people and businesses? Thank God we aren't living in Japan or some other tiny country with nowhere to go.
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The problem is not finding an alternate site, it's finding a more profitable site.
ReplyDeleteLook at the biogas plant being built in Elmira - there were many alternate sites proposed: Further north close to the transformer station on Reid Woods drive; further south next door to a source of raw material (the meat packing plant in Breslau); other sites that don't spring to mind at the moment.
The excuse was always that zoning regulations didn't allow, or that the approvals would have to be redone, or that there were no electrical hookups available.
If the process for the biogas plant is anything to go by, the biosolids plant is as good as built, and no amount of citizen advocacy will move it.
--Bob.
Hi Alan. We face a situation in Scarborough too. Fluidized bed incineration vs. trucking to landfill and possible land application. We have a multiple hearth incinerator now that is ancient and needs replacing but the other option of incineration is fluidized bed which is also old technology. Of course, NIMBY syndrome kicked in when it came to trucking sludge on local streets. Incinerator supporters began vocalizing the dangers of land application and said that the landfills were already overflowing. Now a million will be dropped and MOE will have to do an environmental assessment. What is your take on this issue? We seem to always be so far behind the U.S when it comes to environmental advancement. Tacoma Washington seems on a path. It's a tough debate that has soured our community.
ReplyDeleteBob: I expect that you're right and it's a done deal in Cambridge.
ReplyDeleteKim: It's usually all about the money. Landfilling is usually the cheapest and the best incineration technology is supposed to be pretty good. Are we talking sewage sludge/biosolids here? Maybe the E. Assessment is an opportunity to get the very best possible outcome for your community. Local handling of local waste is great in theory unless of course you live beside the treatment centre. I suspect in Scarborough you have far fewer location options than we have here in waterloo region ie. put it a couple of miles out of town.
We live right by the Highland Creek water treatment plant so, it is a real shock when some residents are supporting incineration over trucking sludge out. Especially when we are already pounded with toxins from Chemtura, AEP, Halltech and Rohm and Haas. Seems like trucking to landfill is a better option to incineration. A few vocal incinerator supporting residents pushed for an EA and I'm not sure why a truck loading facility vs. incineration is even on the table?
ReplyDeleteTalk about being between a rock and a hard place. E. Assessments are all about competing experts for the various parties and they all cost money. I see no easy solution here. RWDI out of Guelph do good work in regards to air emissions and modelling but again they cost $$$. Perhaps U. of Toronto might have some air modelling experts who could help out the community ????
ReplyDeleteWe are definitely in quite a situation. I will keep you updated! Thanks for the info!
DeleteThe Chucky Martin biogas plant is the Ju87 attack aircraft of WW2 - It will stink out all of town and Toddy Cowan might as well be the pilot. Sorry for the Nazi analogy but it really is another front of the Dalton McGuilty Blitzkrieg on the Ontario Taxpayer.
ReplyDeleteIn the past I have tended to deflect or defend critical comments concerning our mayor when I thought they were unfair or inaccurate. In this case while my posting deals with Biosolids not our local (under construction) Biofuel plant I might have done the same except my Mon. April 22/13 posting actually draws a link between the two. Also lately I've learned that our mayor is continuing his personal petty behaviour and I've had enough of it. Behave Todd or you and others will read about it here.
ReplyDelete