ENVIRONMENTAL SCREENING FOR 300,000 TPA WASTE TO ENERGY PROJECT IN PEEL, ONTARIO

The Regional Municipality of Peel in Ontario, Canada has begun the provincially regulated Environmental Screening Process to develop a planned 300,000 tonne per year waste to energy facility

According to the Region of Peel, the Peel Energy Recovery Centre will process a minimum of 300,000 tonnes per year and up to 400,000 tonnes per year of the region’s residual waste.

“Beginning the Screening Process is a key milestone for the Project,” explained Norm Lee, director of waste management at the Region of Peel.

“This is where the Region does an in-depth assessment to identify potential negative and positive environmental effects of the Project and determine how best to mitigate them,” he continued.

The development of the waste to energy facility is a key component of the Region’s Waste Reduction and Resource Recovery Strategy (expected to go to Council this month for approval), that aims to reduce the negative impact of waste on the environment by minimising waste generation and maximising resource recovery.

According to Lee, the Region’s 3Rs Programs (Reduce, Reuse and Recycle/Compost), rival those of other Ontario municipalities, which mostly actively promote the use of 3Rs and send the residual waste that cannot be recycled to landfill.

“Peel has instead chosen to go one step further and use our garbage as a resource—a source of useable energy and recyclable metal,” Lee said.

Councillor John Sanderson, chair of the Waste Management Committee added: “We want our citizens to come out to one of the public information sessions in June to learn more about the Project, ask questions and provide comments. We want people to talk with us about their interests and concerns.”

According to the Region of Peel, once operational the Peel Energy Recovery Centre will:

Process a minimum of 300,000 tonnes per year and up to 400,000 tonnes per year of waste

Produce enough electricity to power at least 27,000 homes a year

Reduce waste-related greenhouse gas emissions by half compared to the current practice of hauling waste to an out-of-region landfill

Reduce the volume of waste being sent to landfill by up to 90%

Conserve fossil fuels that would have otherwise been used to produce the same energy and would have been required to transport waste to landfill

Create approximately 300 construction jobs and 40 direct and 120 indirect full-time positions once operational.