Our Proposal
THE PROBLEM
The Province of Ontario currently relies on landfill disposal to manage materials that cannot be recycled landfill for commercial or technical reasons. Managing these ‘residual materials’ by landfill disposal will become increasingly difficult in the coming decades. Southern Ontario has a growing population and diminishing landfill capacity.
- Ontario disposes over 97% of its residual materials in landfills. The remaining 3% is managed through Energy from Waste. Of the 97% directed to landfill disposal, 70% is disposed within Ontario and 27% in Michigan and New York .
- At current disposal rates, Ontario’s landfill capacity projected to be exhausted in 11-16 years..
- Approving and installing new landfill disposal capacity in Ontario is a very complex and uncertain process requiring 10 years to complete. There are currently no major landfill projects in Ontario.
- Increasing the reliance on the export of residual materials to the United States for landfill disposal is unsustainable. Ontario would be exposed to a significant risk of a waste management crisis caused by disruptions to the supply chain, or the international border is restricted because of emergencies or a political mandate.
- Disposal of residual materials in landfill abandons a significant amount of energy embodied in residual materials that could significantly benefit urban communities.
- Hauling waste from urban areas to remote landfills transfers the environmental responsibilities for managing residual materials from urban to rural communities and increases fossil fuel consumption and greenhouse gas emissions.
THE OPPORTUNITY
Emerald Energy from Waste Inc. (Emerald) has an opportunity to redevelop its energy from waste facility to increase the processing capacity at its Brampton Ontario site.
- Additional energy from waste capacity will reduce Ontario’s reliance on landfill disposal while recovering energy from residual materials, returning value to urban communities, and reducing greenhouse gas emissions.
- Emerald owns and operates an energy from waste facility in Brampton Ontario.
- Emerald has an opportunity to re-develop the existing facility to increase the capacity to recover energy from residual materials generated in Ontario.
- Additional energy from waste capacity will reduce the demand for landfill disposal, extending the life of existing landfill capacity in Ontario and reducing reliance of landfill disposal in the United States.
- The Emerald facility has been in continuous operation since 1992 with no adverse environmental effects.
Emerald has the technical, construction and financial expertise to design, build and operate energy from waste facility in a safe and environmentally responsible manner, and has experience sourcing appropriate residual materials from commercial, industrial and residential customers. - Expanding energy from waste capacity at the Emerald site is consistent with existing planning and development policies in Peel.
- Expanding energy from waste site at the Emerald site uses existing infrastructure including electrical transmission lines, water and sewage services and transportation infrastructure.
- New energy from waste capacity at the Emerald site can become a hub of energy production in southern Brampton offering energy in many forms including steam, electricity, district heating and zero emission fuels such as hydrogen.
- A new energy hub in Brampton could become the foundation for other industrial developments including advanced clean energy and recycling technologies, stimulating economic development in Peel and maintain or create employment in the community.
- The technologies and skills required to operate a new energy from waste facility are readily available in the Greater Toronto Area.
The Benefits
Environmental Benefits
- Reducing the demand for landfill disposal will increase the life of Ontario landfills and reduce our reliance on landfill disposal in the United States.
- Phasing the redevelopment and sharing ownership of the facility will enable the continual growth of waste diversion programs.
- Diverting waste from landfill disposal will reduce carbon emissions from the waste management sector by avoiding methane generation and eliminating 30,000 transfer truck trips.
- Complying with Ontario’s emission standards will ensure there will be no impact on the natural environment.
Energy Benefits
- Recovering 100 MW of energy from solid waste will partially offset the 3,100 MW of generating capacity that will be lost when the Pickering nuclear site is retired in 2025.
- Producing energy within the GTA will support the grid through electricity supply and other support services (voltage and frequency regulation, black start).
Economic Benefits
- Redeveloping the facility will inject $1 billion into the Ontario construction sector providing employment for skilled trade workers and manufacturing opportunities for Ontario’s clean tech industries.
- Additional energy from waste steam supply would support an expansion of our existing steam customer’s paper recycling plant in Mississauga.
- Offering a diversity of energy products (electricity, steam, district heating, hydrogen) will provide economic development opportunities in Peel Region.
- Operating the facility will create 50 direct unionized jobs and 500 indirect jobs in Peel Region.
Approval Process
The expanded facility will be a waste management and energy production hub located at the existing Emerald site in the City of Brampton. The proposed facility will manage up to 900,000 tonnes annually and is expected to have an operating life of at least 20 years.
The project will be conducted in compliance with all applicable laws and regulations in Ontario including the Environmental Assessment Act. The provision of the additional energy from waste capacity will provide an essential service for the people of Ontario.
EA PROCESS
The proposal will require approval under the Environmental Assessment Act (EAA). The EAA approval process leads to the betterment of the people of Ontario by protecting, conserving, and wisely managing the natural environment (air, land, water), the socio-economic environment and cultural aspects of a community.
Approvals under the EAA are public planning processes where stakeholders have an opportunity to review and comment on the potential effect(s) of the project and mitigating actions. Stakeholders will depend on the project but typically includes government agencies, the local community, and First Nations/Aboriginal communities.
The Emerald proposal falls into a class of project defined as a ‘Screening Assessment’. The EA Screening requires the proponent to:
- Outline the project through a Purpose Statement,
- Review the project against a defined checklist list of potential environmental impacts,
- Study the potential impacts of the proposal and
- Propose mitigating measures.
EA Schedule
EA Documents
To be determined
EA PROCESS
The Environmental Protection Act is designed to protect and conserve the natural environment. The natural environment is defined as the air, land, water, flora, and fauna in Ontario as well as outside Ontario.
The EPA approval process is a technical review where a proposal is reviewed by the Ministry of Environment, Conservation and Parks to ensure it complies with Ontario’s standards, policies and procedures. The EPA approvals are not granted until an approval under the EAA is issued.