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A2 - The Canadian Champion, Friday, September 1, 2006 Solutions for Solid Waste Management in Halton Joyce Savoline REGIONAL CHAIRMAN I have always taken great pride in Halton's pro-active approach to business and never has this been more evident than on August 2nd when we announced our intention to establish an Energy From Waste (EFW) facility. This decision, fully endorsed by Regional Council and the volunteer, citizen based Solid Waste Management Advisory Committee, reflects the next phase in waste management and continues our tradition of taking a leadership position on managing our own garbage to address the critical waste and energy issues facing Halton. The EFW facility would be constructed at Halton's Waste Management Site (HWMS) on Regional Road 25 in Milton. The capacity of our landfill will be exhausted by 2030 - even with all of our efforts towards achieving a 60 percent diversion rate. By adopting a pro-active self sufficient approach to managing our waste through an EFW facility, we can extend the life of our HWMS by up to 20 years or until the year 2050. Our next steps will be familiarizing and educating residents as to the range of different technologies to produce energy from waste. At the same time, Halton staff will be preparing the business case that looks at the preliminary environmental, health, air quality, financial and transportation assessments as well as the related community considerations. It is our responsibility and in our interest, given the waste problem and energy crisis in the Province, to look further and explore whether Halton could handle waste for production of energy from other municipalities. Through the business case, ranges of facilitv sizes wiii be considered - the largest being up to 1.2 million tonnes. While our primary focus is not on the larger facility, it is responsible to consider all options. And let me be clear, the business case is not a study about incineration. It is a study that assesses the full range of options and technologies including: thermal cracking, plasma arc, gasification and incineration. Halton Region is committed to developing a clean, green, state-of- the-art facility and any decision made will be in the best interest of the Halton community. Depending on the decisions that follow the business case, more detailed assessments and design will occur, while at the same time, the Region will initiate an extensive public discussion across Halton. We recognize the importance of ensuring residents receive accurate and timely information on this important issue. Regular updates will be posted on our website and we will utilize a range of communications including the media, a dedicated hotline and public information sessions to provide opportunities for comment. Halton Region's Energy From Waste-Why Now? A. Brent Marshall CHIEF ADMINISTRATIVE OFFICER Halton Region's recent announcement to move forward on the implementation of an Energy From Waste (EFW) facility, at the Halton Waste Management Site, Regional Road 25 in Milton, continues Halton's tradition of using innovative, state-of-the-art solutions in providing services to Halton residents. In Halton, we have become leaders in waste management having endorsed and implemented with * trdiio great success, the 3Rs (reduce, reuse, recycle) which will continue to be critical to achieving the targets - set in Halton's Waste Management s ts Strategy (2006). However achieving a 60 percent diversion rate alone will not address the waste issues in Halton or the Province. We have an obligation and responsibility to find solutions to become self- sufficient in managing our waste. This is why Halton Region is moving forward on the long-standing direction of the Joint Board Decision from 1989 to implement an Energy From Waste (EFW) facility. In 1989, when Halton received approval, under the Environmental Assessment Act, to build our waste management site, the approval was granted based on a number of conditions, including one known as Condition 2, requiring that an EFW facility be developed at the site. Halton is now moving forward to implement this requirement. It is important to know that today's modern EFW plants employ state-of-the-art technology in their pollution control equipment. We are committed to ensuring Halton will have a clean- green solution to meeting our waste needs while also creating a safe energy supply. The energy generated from the EFW facility will be enough to power the equivalent of 18,000 to 60,000 homes depending on the size of the facility. The various options for an EFW facility will be outlined in a business case to include a financial analysis, size considerations and a review of social, health and environmental impact studies. We need to act now to ensure Halton can remain self-sustaining in our ability to handle our own waste. The sooner we take control of the waste issue, the more positive impact there will be on Halton's disposal capacity, and our ability to generate our own electricity. iiilismmpaer«n - - mpu an-naasaatl