Biggars Lane Landfill expansion project
Learn about the environmental assessment process for a proposal to increase waste disposal capacity at the Biggars Lane Landfill in the County of Brant.
Current status
On April 14, 2022, the Minister of the Environment, Conservation and Parks, with Cabinet concurrence approved the project for the Biggars Lane Landfill expansion.
Project summary
The County of Brant has been granted approval under the Environmental Assessment Act to increase the capacity of the Biggars Lane Landfill by 1.13 million cubic metres.
The existing approved landfill is expected to reach capacity by 2024. The increased capacity will allow the County of Brant to continue disposing of solid, non-hazardous municipal waste and industrial, commercial and institutional (IC&I) materials for an additional 30 years.
The County of Brant entered an environmental assessment process for this project. This assessment looks at how the landfill expansion could impact the environment.
Learn more on the County of Brant’s website
Proponent
County of Brant
Location
128 Biggars Lane, County of Brant
Type
Waste management
Reference number
14119
Contact
Anne Cameron, Environmental Assessment Branch
Project history
Environmental assessment: Approved
Date submitted: February 15, 2021
Expiry of public comment period: May 7, 2021
Expiry of public comment period for ministry review: January 14, 2022
Decision date: April 14, 2022
Terms of reference: approved
Date submitted: May 22, 2014
Expiry of public comment period: June 21, 2014
Decision date: May 15, 2015
Environmental assessment
The County of Brant submitted the Biggars Lane Landfill expansion environmental assessment for review and decision under the Environmental Assessment Act.
After considering the environmental assessment, comments received and the proponent’s proposed environmental protection measures, the Minister, with Cabinet concurrence, approved the undertaking as described in the environmental assessment for the Biggars Lane Landfill expansion project on April 14, 2022.
The County of Brant may now proceed with implementing the project, subject to the conditions in the notice of approval and any other permits and approvals that may be required.
Read the Order in Council and notice of approval.
Notice of completion of ministry review
An invitation to comment on the environmental assessment for the proposed Biggars Lane Landfill expansion has been posted and will close January 14, 2022.
An environmental assessment has been submitted to the Ministry of the Environment, Conservation and Parks by the County of Brant for the undertaking, the Biggars Lane Landfill Expansion.
The Ministry of the Environment, Conservation and Parks has prepared a review of the environmental assessment for public and agency comment. The review of the environmental assessment does not make a decision about the undertaking. That decision is made by the Minister of the Environment, Conservation and Parks after the comment period is over and consideration of all submissions.
You can submit comments on the undertaking, the environmental assessment, and the ministry review. You may also request a hearing by the Ontario Land Tribunal. If you request a hearing you must state in your submission whether you are requesting a hearing on the whole application or on only specified matters related to the application.
How to get the information you need
You can inspect the ministry review on the Government of Ontario’s website.
The environmental assessment is available for reference on the proponent’s project website.
Be sure to express your views
Send written comments to:
Director
Environmental Assessment Branch
Ministry of the Environment, Conservation and Parks
Attention: Anne Cameron, Project Officer
Email: anne.cameron@ontario.ca
We apologize that we are only able to accept electronic submissions at this time.
Please ensure your written comments are received by January 14, 2022.
If you make a submission or request a hearing before the above date, you will be notified of any decisions about this environmental assessment. Otherwise, the undertaking may proceed without further notice to you.
If no submissions or requests for a hearing are received, the undertaking may be approved with no further public notice. This will allow the undertaking to proceed.
Under the Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy Act and the Environmental Assessment Act, unless otherwise stated in the submission, any personal information such as name, address, telephone number and property location included in all submissions become part of the public record files for this matter and can be released, if requested, to any person.
Environmental assessment report
The preferred method of landfill expansion identified in the environmental assessment report is to build and maintain a new landfilling area west of the existing (currently approved) landfilling area.
The current landfill site is 91.18 hectares. The proposed new landfilling area is approximately 14.3 hectares and will be built with an engineered base (liner) system.
A leachate collection system will gather leachate draining from the liner system. Leachate is the contaminated liquid that forms when rainwater filters through the buried and decomposing wastes of a landfill. Transporting the leachate by tanker truck to the Paris Water Pollution Control Plant is the preferred method of treatment identified in the environmental assessment.
A landfill gas collection system will also be required for the expansion area. A vertical collection well network has been identified as the preferred method of landfill gas collection. Gas collected by the system is proposed to be sent to a flare to destroy the methane, a significant greenhouse gas.
The site will attempt to capture 70 per cent of the landfill gas generated from the expansion area during the operating life of the landfill and the care period following closure.
Terms of reference
On May 15, 2015, the former Minister of the Environment and Climate Change approved the terms of reference for this project.