The Process of Siting and Approving a New Landfill in Ontario

BY KYRA BRENNAN

Overview1. Introduction2. Legislation Involved of Site Selection 3. Regulatory Requirements for Certificate of

Approval:• Design Specifications• Buffer Area• Environmental Assessments

4. Operations5. Limitations & Concerns• Video

6. Questions

Introduction•Purpose of landfills existing for health and economic reasons recently began to include environmental awareness

•Legislative Acts passed in 1990’s to regulate waste management

•Environmental Protection Act (EPA), Regulation 347, 232/98

Legislation

• Distributes Certificate of Approval for alterations, establishment or expansion of landfill.

•

Ministry of the Environment (MOE)

Regulatory Requirements

Design Specifications

•Vary depending on the size of proposed site, municipal/privately owned•Applies only to landfills with non-hazardous wasteBuffe

r Zone

•Allows for contaminant attenuation•Landfill owner must own it, may contain roads, site services, building, etc.Environ

mental Assessm

ents

•Hydrogeological, surface water and groundwater assessments•Necessary to properly design site, map water flows and leachate

D E S I G N

The proposal must explain in detail a design that will account for the landfill from start to finish. Specific elements of the design include:

•The proposed site boundaries, buffer area, waste fill area and contours, surface water control works, on-site roads and structures, and final cover design•The design of any liner and leachate collection system or landfill gas control works needed for the site•Monitoring facilities for groundwater, leachate and surface water •A contingency plan for leachate control•Site closure and post-closure care requirements (MOE, 1998)

B U F F E R Z O N E

•Buffer Zone: area surrounding the landfill

•Provides pace for monitoring, maintenance and environmental control

•Atleast 100 meters wide at all areas (Certificate of Approval process can reduce space to 30 meters)

•Area for potential effects of landfill to be caught before outside of buffer zone. Potential effects are:o Surface runoffo Littero Vectorso Leachateo Subsurface migration of landfill gaso Aesthetic effects

A S S E S S M E N T S

HYDROGEOLOGICALSoil/Bedrock samples, measurement

of groundwater level and quality, interpretation of groundwater flow

and contour plans identifying unstable areas.

SURFACE WATERIncludes any water within the vicinity

and any water which may receive discharge. Assessment if site is suitable

based on extensive list of monitoring parameters and water conditions.

GROUNDWATERFundamental element to plan because

costly & difficult if gone wrong and often primary source of water supply.

Site specific designs or generic designs.

Other CriteriaOther criteria that must be met in the design proposal:• Leachate disposal and contingency

plans• Surface water control• Subsurface migration of landfill gases• Emissions• Designs for engineered facilities• Noise• Operation and maintenance

procedures• Financial assurance

Operations•Site Preparation•Record Keeping•Operations Report•Public Liaison Committee•Burning/Scavenging•Leachate Monitoring•Daily/Final Cover•Final Slopes•Closure Report•Annual Post-Closure Report

Implications & ConcernsVIDEO

ConclusionEfforts must be made to accommodate the waste,divert more waste from landfills, and begin the process of reducing the overall quantity of waste generated.

Thank You

ReferencesCanada. Government of Ontario. Environmental Assessment process requirements for certain waste management sites. By Environmental Registry. Ministry of Environment, 2007. Chesed, Mindorff. The Process for Citing and Approving a New Landfill in Ontario. Rep. Brock University, 2006. Environmental Assessment Act. Guide to Environmental Assessment Requirements for Waste Management Projects. By Legislative Authority. Government of Ontario, 2007. Environmental Commissioner of Ontario. 2007/08 Annual Report - Getting to K(No)w. Rep. Speaker of Legislative Assembly, 2008. International LTD, RIS. The Private Sector IC&I Waste Management System in Ontario. Rep. Ontario Waste Management Association, 2005. Lawson, Oates. Status of Disposal Capacity in Ontario and Exports to the US. Rep. Toronto: SWMS, 2006. Ministry of the Environment. Landfill Standards: A Guideline on the Regulatory and Approval Requirements for New or Expanding Landfilling Sites. Government of Ontario, 1998. Unknown Author. "Landfill Sites in Northwestern Ontario: Issues and Opportunities." Review. Workshop Summary 2 Mar. 2005. Unknown Author. "The Environmental Impacts of Ontario’s Small and Aging Landfills – Who Is Keeping Track?" ECO Issues. Feb. 2009. <http://www.ecoissues.ca/wiki//index.php?title=The_Environmental_Impacts_of_Ontario%E2%80%99s_Small_and_Aging_Landfills>. Willms, John. "How Planning Act Strategies Can Compensate for MOE Laissez Faire." Municipal World (1998).