What is being proposed?
The Project would modify the daily/annual rate of fill (i.e. the amount of waste received) at the Ridge Landfill.
The current annual maximum limit of waste received is 899,000 tonnes. The current daily maximum of waste that can be received at the site is 4,391 tonnes. BFI is proposing to increase the rate of fill at the landfill. The proposed daily maximum of waste received is to be increased to 6,661 tonnes and the maximum annual capacity is to be increased to 1,300,000 tonnes.
As a result of increasing the daily/annual rate of fill, the landfill would reach capacity in about 2022, (under the current approved rate of fill the landfill has an estimated life until 2027).
Why?
BFI is proposing this initiative (to modify the daily/annual rate of fill), to fully utilize its Ridge Landfill facility and to provide flexibility to its operations.
What Does the Project involve?
The project would result in an increase in the number of trucks delivering waste to the landfill on a daily and annual basis and result in an increase in landfill equipment activity at the Site. This means that on an average operating day, with the increased daily rate of fill, the number of trucks to the site would increase by 4 trucks per hour. Further, the increase in the daily tonnage may result in a larger exposed tipping face.
This proposed initiative would not require any changes to landfill infrastructure including any physical change to the landfill volume, footprint or profile. The landfill would continue to operate as it largely does today.
What is an Environmental screening?
An environmental screening is proponent-driven form of environmental assessment. Under the screening process, BFI is required to identify the potential environmental effects of the project and propose mitigation measures to either reduce or eliminate those effects. Public consultation is a required component of the screening process. Under this process, a member of the public could request the screening to be elevated to a higher level of environmental assessment. The MOE would then need to decide whether to grant or deny this request.