By Mike Renzella
The Haldimand Press
CAYUGA—Brooks Road Environmental (BRE), the owners and operators of the divisive Brooks Road Landfill in Cayuga, have initiated an environmental screening process for a proposed goal of expanding the site by approximately 100,000 cubic metres.
The site has been a source of frustration for a number of Cayuga residents for many years, with several residents showing up at public information sessions to protest the operation, including one held on June 29, where Cayuga resident Diane Manto said, “We don’t want you to expand, we want you to stop…. We don’t need Toronto garbage.”
We spoke with Tim Danyliw, Site Project Manager, about the expansion plans and the pushback from the community: “The proposed capacity expansion would allow Brooks Road Environmental to respond to the growing demands from waste generators and customers who need a safe and reliable waste management facility for disposal of their post diversion solid non-hazardous ICI waste.”
He said the planned expansion would be achieved “through a combination of re-engineering of the final contours of the Brooks Road Landfill Site to expand it vertically, as well as increasing the existing landfill footprint to expand it horizontally.”
Installation of a northern perimeter access road and stormwater drainage ditch would be required to accommodate the proposed changes, while the surrounding former railway property would continue to provide a buffer zone for the landfill.
The proposed capacity expansion would add approximately one additional year’s worth of waste over and above the currently approved capacity.
This is not the first time the site has expanded. In 2019, BRE received approval to expand the vertical height of the landfill. In 2020 the site expanded their annual fill rate from 151,000 tonnes a year to 250,000 tonnes; this fill rate is expected to be maintained for the proposed expansion.
“The currently approved maximum height of the landfill is 23 metres above existing grade. At present, it is not anticipated that the proposed expansion would increase the currently approved height,” Danyliw said. “The proposed landfill expansion area would tie into the existing site contours.”
Danyliw described the steps included in the environmental screening process and touched on some of the ways BRE can mitigate any environmental impacts of the expansion.
“The Environmental Screening Process consists of 14 steps, including two rounds of consultation with stakeholders, identifying potential environmental effects, conducting studies and assessments of potential environmental effects, developing mitigation measures, identifying any resulting net effects, and preparing an environmental screening report for stakeholder review.”
He added that the screening, as per Section 13 of Ontario Regulation 101/07 – Waste Management Projects Regulation, exempts the project from Part II of the Environmental Assessment Act.
“At the beginning of the Environmental Screening Process the proponent is required to identify potential environmental effects that might result from the project through a set of established criteria reflecting the broad definition of ‘environment’ contained within the Environmental Assessment Act. BRE has identified potential effects to surface water, groundwater, air, noise, natural environment, socioeconomics, and visual landscape as a result of the proposed capacity expansion. The next steps in the Environmental Screening Process are to determine the potential adverse environmental effects of the proposed project on the environment and, if adverse environmental effects are identified, develop mitigation and monitoring measures to be applied to reduce or eliminate the effects.”
At a previous meeting held in March 2020, just before the first COVID lockdown, residents railed against the development, with the smell of the site landing at the top of the complaints pile. At the time, Manto described the stench as “sort of a methane-like chemical smell.”
BRE was also ordered at the time by the Ministry of Environment, Conservation and Parks (MECP) to remove high levels of leachate from the site to bring it into compliance with Provincial regulations.
Danyliw said that BRE has been working to address the public concerns: “We understand that residents may have questions or concerns about the proposed expansion. The purpose of the public open house is to allow residents to provide those comments so they can be considered as part of the Environmental Screening process. Over the past several years we have been working hard to improve operations at the landfill and have received very few complaints in the past few years.”
Lastly, we asked if this is the final expansion to the site, but Danyliw could not provide a clear answer: “Under the revised Waste Management Projects Regulation, a proponent cannot seek additional expansions under the Environmental Screening process. The capacity expansion is being proposed at this time to respond to current demands from waste generators and customers. We cannot comment on what future demand may or may not be.”
