Latest news with #environmentcommittee
CBC
3 days ago
- Business
- CBC
City exploring 3 options to replace Trail Road landfill
Social Sharing The City of Ottawa has identified three viable options to replace the Trail Road landfill before it reaches capacity in as few as 10 years. According to a report released Friday ahead of next week's environment and climate change committee meeting, the city's best options include incineration, continuing to use the current dump alongside a private facility, or creating a new municipal landfill. Once council approves those options, staff will begin examining each in depth, for which about $600,000 has already been set aside. The Trail Waste Facility Landfill opened in 1980 and was originally expected to last 20 years. City council approved an expansion in 2007, giving the dump another 10 to 40 years, depending on use. Based on current level of disposal, the landfill is now expected to reach capacity around 2035. Nevertheless, the report says a final decision isn't required until 2029. Top 3 options The "waste management technologies feasibility study" explored five scenarios for replacing the landfill. Two of those options failed to make the cut: a mixed-waste processing facility (MWP) where all categories of refuse would be disposed of in one place, and combining MWP with a waste-to-energy (WTE) incineration facility. "The WTE Incineration Facility was the highest ranked technology as it offers significant environmental benefits, including a 77 per cent landfill diversion rate and energy recovery, which aligns with the city's strategic priorities," staff wrote. However, building such a facility could cost up to $862 million and would require a complex regulatory approval process, staff said. If the city continues to use Trail Road until it reaches capacity, municipal waste would then be sent to a private facility for disposal. But there are potential drawbacks with that option, too, staff warned. "This option tied for highest ranking; however, it exposes the city to long-term financial and environmental risks, including escalating landfill tipping fees, reduced airspace and/or capacity at regional waste facilities, limited control over disposal operations, and an increased risk of potentially higher GHG emissions." The option to build a new landfill was ranked third and would cost up to $761 million, according to the report. If approved by council, staff would move forward with an in-depth evaluation of the top three scenarios and report back with a recommendation during the next term of council. Despite the tight timeline, staff say the project remains on schedule.
Mail & Guardian
26-05-2025
- Business
- Mail & Guardian
Two of the four eThekwini landfills are nearly full
Landfills are the third largest man-made source of methane, a greenhouse gas more potent than carbon dioxide. (Eryn Scannell/GroundUp) The four 'Overall waste management compliance across all the landfills has always been north of 80% and, currently, it sits around 85.6% from 90% five years ago,' the deputy head for plant and engineering for eThekwini Logan Moodley told parliament's environment committee last week. 'We have focused significant efforts in understanding the value chain to optimise the use of these resources [fleet and compactors]. Preliminary data shows that about 60% of the total waste management cost is in transportation, followed by landfilling at some 30% and handling through a transfer station at some 10%.' He said investments in fleets and logistics supported the municipality's waste management operations. 'We have done some investments and it has improved significantly. We are now some 70% into clearing the backlog which is beginning to see improvements in terms of stabilising the waste function. The aggravating issue in the business is not only about trucks, but also how you use these resources more optimally.' eThewkwini handles about 3 400 tonnes of waste every day, which equates to 0.6kg per capita, and it receives more than 1.3 million tonnes of waste a year, Moodley told committee members. 'The situation currently is that two out of the four landfill sites are reaching capacity, so we are down to 50% of use of landfills and this … is inducing challenges in the system.' The Marianhill landfill has about two years of air space left and the Bisasar Road landfill has three to six months left. Service costs, resistance to increasing waste management sites and reduced sorting of materials is exacerbating the issue, Moodley said. 'There have been issues of business forums stopping the main landfill and the semi-closure of two of the four landfill sites has caused a domino effect of forcing waste to the transfer stations to handle larger volumes. Separation at source is still at a very low level and needs assistance in terms of improvement,' he said. Many metropolitan municipalities are not implementing integrated waste management plans and by-laws, committee chairperson Nqabisa Gantsho said. 'This is evident in the persistent illegal dumping, inadequate waste infrastructure, waste fleet management, low waste diversion and slow progress on source separation,' she said. 'The auditor general report has exposed severe failures at waste management, from unregulated landfill sites to settlements built on unrehabilitated landfill sites that have been closed, poor fencing or non-compliance with post-landfill closure norms and standards.' South Africa has In 2020, the government developed a The strategy also seeks to ensure residents have effective and sustainable waste services that are well-managed and financially sustainable, while ensuring compliance and enforcement with waste management regulations including 'zero tolerance of pollution, litter and illegal dumping'. Moodley said the municipality needs to take advantage of the 'low-hanging fruit' to reduce the amount of waste going into landfills. This includes improved sorting at source — which means separating waste according to material, be it paper, glass or garden waste — for recycling, composting and rehabilitation. 'There is some 2% diversion from the landfill, mainly linked to garden waste, but the main diversion is low with 98% being landfilled.' (Graphic: John McCann/M&G) After having registered 144 waste pickers in the municipality, Moodley said the waste-picker integration plan and education would also support efforts to reduce waste that ends up in landfills. 'Our operating budgets going forward will be bolstering up education in ensuring this behavioural change such that communities do have an appreciation, and play their role, and support in terms of intensifying the separation upstream. Then you can create a resource market out of it. 'There are recycling programmes that will be taken through as part of the new financial year,' he added.
Times
12-05-2025
- Business
- Times
How will you rescue Thames Water? MPs seek answers from chairman
After a stellar career helping to oversee companies on behalf of the government, or sitting on high-profile boards, Sir Adrian Montague finds himself in front of MPs on Tuesday to explain how he is going to pull off his biggest coup yet. The 77-year-old chairman of Thames Water has been called before the environment select committee of the Commons. The question is: just how does he rescue Britain's largest privatised water monopoly, which is in a financial and regulatory crisis, is £20 billion in debt, has no shareholders after the last lot withdrew their support and has one of the worst records on pollution, leakage and customer service? The Treasury wants to stop Thames Water being renationalised via a special administration regime in which the
