NANTICOKE—Stelco Lake Erie Works has been temporarily granted one more year of filling its limestone quarry landfill while it awaits the completion of an environmental assessment which, if approved, would truck in 24% of the non-hazardous, steelmaking waste from Stelco’s Hamilton Steel Works dump to the quarry for the next 25 years.
The 34-metre-deep former limestone quarry is located on the west side of the Nanticoke site. It has been used as a landfill since 1984. Stelco hit its existing capacity of the landfill earlier this year, and applied to immediately add a 39,500 cubic meter expansion with a 3.5 metre peak elevation incease to allow the collection for another year of non-hazardous, steelmaking secondary materials that cannot be reused or recycled. These materials include dust, sludge, and blast furnace slag.
The site may receive waste for disposal, or excavate waste at any time, provided a site supervisor is trained and present to supervise the disposal activities.
The purpose of the environmental assessment via the Ministry of Environment, Conservation and Parks is to identify alternatives and study the potential effects of the proposed long-term landfill expansion on the environment.
The proposed future expansion would be 5.5 hectares, and house more than 420,000 tonnes of waste annually. Upon reaching the final capacity of the site with a final volume of 1.34 million cubic metres, the landfill would be then capped and covered. The final capacity includes any wastes not yet not excavated; any new waste disposed of in the landfill; and any daily or interim cover material. It does not include final cover material.
According to the ministry, Stelco has diverted 93% of its secondary steel making, residual waste, and Stelco has committed to continue diverting materials from disposal but ultimately some amount of residual disposal need is expected.
Only one public comment was received, concerning dirt and potential visual impacts of the landfill top.
“The comment was concerned about the visual impact of the proposed vertical expansion area to the southwest of the landfill,” read the decision. “It has been verified by Stelco personnel that from Old Lakeshore Road the existing landfill is not visible. Given the distance and trees between any residential buildings and the landfill, it is expected even with the limited vertical expansion the landfill will not be visible. The farm field to the west has not been active since approximately 2017 and there has been no occupant for roughly 40-50 years.”
Dust was also of concern, but the ministry found no issue: “The waste does not produce dust as it is ‘sticky’ by nature,” stated the decision. “If any dust is coming off the property it is due to the large property, roads, and the operation of the steel process. The landfill is a minor footprint of the site.”
The Environmental Compliance Approval also has conditions, including that the landfill shall be operated and maintained to ensure dust does not create a nuisance outside the site, and that Stelco will place intermediate cover where landfilling has been temporarily discontinued for six months or more.
Stelco is also mandated to regularly monitor water and leachate on site, and to annually inspect the leachate collection system and clean where required; for example, the leachate forcemain from the landfill to the wastewater treatment system is to be cleaned at least once annually.
