Waste Management will host two public information sessions over the coming weeks to provide an update on the Twin Creeks Environmental Assessment (EA) Optimization Project.
The public meetings are scheduled to take place on Wednesday, November 29, and on Tuesday, December 5, between 4 p.m. and 8 p.m. Both meetings will be held at Twin Creeks Environmental Centre, located at 5768 Nauvoo Rd.
Township council and staff will be allotted a private meeting between 3 p.m. and 4 p.m. on November 29.
Landfill Engineering Manager Wayne Jenken gave an update on the project during a special Warwick council meeting on November 15.
The project proposes an expansion at the existing site in order to increase the landfill airspace capacity. As it stands, the landfill has a projected lifespan of eight years remaining, however, an expansion would extend its life by about 12 years to 2043.
As specified in the update given to council, the additional capacity would either be done with a vertical expansion within the currently approved 101.8 hectare expansion landfill footprint or a horizontal expansion within the 301 ha site.
During the special council meeting, Councillor Wayne Morris brought up concerns about odor.
Jenken said he believes the odor situation is improving. In response to Morris’ question he also referenced the renewable natural gas (RNG) infrastructure project announced in June, to convert landfill gas into pipeline-quality gas.
“I think it’s improved significantly from some past issues that we had, but we’re headed to be even better,” said Jenken. “We are on track to introduce a new gas collection entire system design for Twin Creeks here in the near future and to bring that online before RNG as well,” Jenken said. “There’s a lot of exciting things happening for landfill gas. Getting past our past hiccups is a struggle for us in getting that public perception to come along with ‘things are better’ and we need to prove our track record going forward.”
Work on the EA began in April and results will later be submitted to the Ministry of the Environment, Conservation and Parks for review.
Jenken said the EA is currently confirming existing conditions and will eventually look at developing alternative methods.
Further details about the project can be found on Waste Management’s website.