Notice of Commencement: Saugeen Shores Waste Management Plan

Notice of Commencement of Terms of Reference & Public Information Centre No. 1

Saugeen Shores Waste Management Plan: Review of Potential for Landfill Optimization

The Town of Saugeen Shores is beginning an Environmental Assessment under the Environmental Assessment Act (EAA) to address the problem of diminishing capacity at the Town’s existing Southampton Landfill Site. It is proposed that the Environmental Assessment 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 EAA. The first step of the process is the preparation of a Terms of Reference which sets out the framework and work plan for addressing the requirements when preparing the Environmental Assessment, including such things as alternatives to be considered and public consultation activities to be carried out. If approved by the Minister, the Terms of Reference will layout the steps and requirements for the Environmental Assessment.    

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 existing landfill site is shown on the map provided. Based on a 40-year planning period commencing in 2030, it is estimated that there will be a need for approximately one-million cubic meters (m³) of landfill capacity. The Environmental Assessment planning process is designed to examine alternatives that have the potential to satisfy the purpose of the undertaking.  ‘Alternatives To’ identified for this Waste Management Project include the following: 

Building upon the recommendations of the Town’s Long-Term Waste Management Plan completed in 2020, preliminary screening of various alternatives in more detail has been completed as part of an overall screening process advanced to support the Environmental Assessment. Background studies were initiated in 2021 to confirm the feasibility of the existing landfill site to accommodate additional waste capacity. 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 with the Town’ and a review of the ‘Applicability of Alternative Waste Management Technologies’ have been completed and are provided as supporting documentation to the Terms of Reference. The screening of these ‘Alternatives To’ has been undertaken to determine whether a refined range of alternatives may be carried from the Terms of Reference Stage into the Environmental Assessment, referred to as a ‘Focused Environmental Assessment’. 

Public Consultation

Members of the public, agencies, Indigenous Communities, and other interested persons are encouraged to actively participate in the planning process by attending consultation opportunities, reviewing the 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, on the project website (Engage Saugeen Shores) and by direct and/or electronic mail.