Notice of Draft Proposed Terms of Reference & Public Information Centre for Waste Management EA

Notice of Draft Proposed Terms of Reference & Public Information Centre No.2

Saugeen Shores Waste Management Environmental Assessment: Review of Potential for Landfill Optimization

The Town of Saugeen Shores has initiated an Environmental Assessment (EA) under the Environmental Assessment Act to address the problem of diminishing capacity at the Town’s existing Southampton Landfill Site. It is proposed that the EA be undertaken to address the Town’s future waste management needs for a 40-year planning period.

The Process

This Study will be carried out in accordance with the requirements of the Environmental Assessment Act. The first step of the process is the preparation of a Terms of Reference (ToR) which sets out the framework and workplan for addressing the requirements when preparing the EA, including such things as alternatives (or options) to be considered and public consultation activities to be completed.

The Draft Proposed ToR and associated supporting documentation has been made available for review by the public, the government review team, and Indigenous Communities. We ask that comments be provided by November 22, 2024. Following the review period, the reports will be updated to address comments received and will be submitted to the Ministry of the Environment, Conservation and Parks (MECP).  The Minister may either approve the ToR, approve the ToR with amendments, or reject the ToR. 

Project Overview

It is projected that the approved capacity at the Southampton Landfill Site will be exhausted in the next 6 to 8 years, or sometime during the period between 2030 and 2032. The location of the Town’s existing landfill site is shown on the map provided. Based on a 40-year planning period, it is estimated that the Town will generate approximately 330,000 tonnes of residual waste requiring disposal.  Environmental Assessments are designed to examine alternatives that have the potential to satisfy the purpose of the undertaking.

Building upon the recommendations of the Town’s Long-Term Waste Management Plan completed in 2020, preliminary screening of various alternatives in more detail was completed as part of an overall screening process advanced to support the EA. Background studies were initiated in 2021 to confirm the feasibility of using the existing landfill site to accommodate additional residual waste. Based on the findings, landfill optimization has been confirmed to be a viable waste management strategy. In addition, a detailed screening assessment of the alternative to Establish a New Landfill Site and reviews of the applicability of Alternative Waste Management Technologies have been completed and are provided as supporting documentation to the ToR. Based on the findings of these assessments, it is being recommended that these two alternatives be eliminated and not advanced into the next stage of the EA. Accordingly, the ToR recommends that the following alternatives be advanced into the EA.  

• Do Nothing (a standard alternative that serves as a baseline against which other alternatives can be compared)
• Optimization of Landfill Capacity at the Town’s Existing Southampton Landfill Site
• Third Party – Export of Waste

The Proposed ToR, once updated to address comments received, will be submitted to the MECP.  If the ToR is approved, the alternative to Establish a New Landfill Site and Alternative Waste Management Technologies would be removed from the list of alternatives and would not be further considered through the EA process.

Public Consultation

Members of the public are encouraged to actively participate in the planning process by attending consultation opportunities, reviewing project documentation, sharing information, and providing comments related to the project. Consultation opportunities are planned throughout the planning process and will be advertised in the Shoreline Beacon, by direct and/or electronic mail, and on the project website (www.engage.saugeenshores.ca/SSWMP). 

A second Public Information Centre (PIC) is being held to provide an opportunity for the project team to present and receive feedback on the project. The PIC Public Meeting is planned to be held during the Town’s Committee of the Whole meeting. The Project Team welcomes your input. Committee of the Whole meetings are open to the public and are held in person and electronically in accordance with Section 238 (3.3) of the Municipal Act, 2001. The meeting details are as follows:

• Date: Monday October 28, 2024
• Meeting Start Time: 6:30 PM
• Location: Nuclear Innovation Institute, 620 Tomlinson Drive, Port Elgin

To watch the livestream of the presentation to the Committee of the Whole, please subscribe to the Town of Saugeen Shores’ YouTube Channel (https://www.youtube.com/user/TownOfSaugeenShores/live). To speak at this Public Meeting, please register in advance by calling 519-832-2008 extension 102, or by emailing clerk@saugeenshores.ca.

Comments

Public involvement is a key component of this project planning. You can find information about the project, sign up for future updates, and submit written comments on the Town’s project page (www.engage.saugeenshores.ca/SSWMP). To submit comments by mail or email, or if you require further information or accommodations, please contact one of the project team members listed below.

Town of Saugeen Shores
Colin Saunders, Project Manager, Capital Projects
600 Tomlinson Drive, Box 820
Port Elgin, ON  N0H 2C0
sswmp@saugeenshores.ca
Tel: 519-832-2008  Ext.101 

GEI Consultants Canada Ltd.
Andrea Nelson, Project Manager
1260 - 2^nd Avenue East, Unit 1
Owen Sound, ON  N4K 2J3
sswmp@geiconsultants.com
Tel: 519-376-1805

Although comments can be received anytime during the project process, interested persons are encouraged to submit written comments related to this second project consultation by November 22, 2024. This Notice is advertised in the Shoreline Beacon and is posted on the Town’s project website, where additional information is provided.

This Notice first issued on October 15th, 2024.

 All personal information included in a submission - such as name, address, telephone number, and property location - is collected, maintained, and disclosed by the Ministry of the Environment, Conservation and Parks (MECP) for the purpose of transparency and consultation. The information is collected under the authority of the Environmental Assessment Act or is collected and maintained for the purpose of creating a record that is available to the general public as described in s.37 of the Freedom of Information and Privacy Act