Introduction

Proponent

Essex-Windsor Solid Waste Authority

Location

Colchester North Township, County of Essex

Type

Waste

Reference number

9768

Contact

Current status

Environmental assessment: approved, November 18, 1998

Project summary

The proposed undertaking is to expand the Service Area of the Essex-Windsor Regional Landfill Site to include all municipalities in Ontario.

Project history

Environmental assessment: approved
Date submitted: December 16, 1997
Expiry of public comment period for ministry review: September 18, 1998
Decision date: November 18, 1998

Terms of reference: approved
Date submitted: April 11, 1997
Expiry of public comment period: May 22, 1997
Decision date: June 30, 1997 (approved with amendments)

Environmental assessment

The Essex-Windsor Regional Landfill Site received an environmental assessment approval in August 1995. A review of the operation of the site indicated that disposal rates have fallen short of the average annual rate by approximately 100,000 to 125,000 tonnes per year. The annual average disposal rate was expected to be approximately 244,000 tonnes per year. Tipping fees generated by the landfill site have been declining as private waste haulers have been exporting waste from the Essex-Windsor area to sites in Michigan where tipping fees are less expensive. In order to increase and replace lost revenues and to utilize the approved capacity of the site, the Essex-Windsor Solid Waste Authority decided to seek approval to expand the service area for the collection of solid, non-hazardous waste to include other locations from across all of Ontario.

The Essex-Windsor Solid Waste Authority submitted a Terms of Reference (ToR) on April 11, 1997. The ToR was reviewed and received the approval of the Minister of the Environment on June 30, 1997. The proponent completed the preparation of the new environmental assessment document based on the approved ToR and submitted the EA on December 16, 1997. The project was approved on November 18, 1998.

Terms of reference

The proposed undertaking is to expand the Service Area of the Essex-Windsor Regional Landfill Site to include all municipalities in Ontario. The proponent is the Essex-Windsor Solid Waste Authority (a joint board of management of the City of Windsor and the County of Essex-Windsor).

Essex-Windsor raises the money for its 3Rs programs and the operation of its waste transfer and disposal system through the tipping fee at the disposal site. To keep these costs stable and reasonable to the ratepayers of Essex-Windsor, approximately 250,000 tonnes of waste are required to be disposed of annually. While this capacity has historically been available, it has been reduced to approximately 130,000 tonnes since the export of ICI waste has been taking place.

An amendment to the Service Area would allow Essex-Windsor to receive solid non-hazardous wastes from other Ontario municipalities to make up this short fall in annual capacity, thereby keeping the waste management costs to Essex-Windsor reasonable.