An Opportunity for MRC Pontiac to be a leader in Energy from Waste

Dear Editor,

MRC Pontiac has been interested in energy from waste since 2011 when it declared itself a “willing host.” Research in Europe was done at the time when Warden Raymond Durocher sent staff to visit various sites. Europe has always been more progressive than North America because of the lack of available space to landfill. The project came to a halt when they realized they had insufficient tonnage of waste.

MRC Pontiac is opposed to locating a municipal waste landfill in our region. The residents have previously opposed the proposed landfills in Danford Lake and at Bristol Mines. Municipal dumps are a blight to the earth and you need to be responsible as a steward of it for the rest of the earth’s life. The methane has to be removed or there can be fires and explosions. We should never allow a municipal garbage dump in our region. It is the wrong direction with respect to climate change and the massive greenhouse gas they create.

I am an advocate of energy from waste. Pontiac has a great opportunity to be an environmental leader and a good neighbour by creating the first energy from waste incinerator in Quebec on the border of Ontario. We will also save $1.7 million (which we currently pay to ship our waste to the Lachute landfill) and create 50 permanent jobs.

The two most important factors are a site that is accepted by the community and obtaining sufficient tonnage. We have identified the Litchfield Smurfit Stone site as it is zoned heavy industrial and allows municipal waste. The 18 mayors support this project. The tonnage could come from the City of Ottawa, Renfrew County and part of the Outaouais. It would be built to accept 400,000 tonnes of waste. After maximizing recycling and composting, we will have 40 per cent residual waste. We prefer to direct that to energy from waste, producing 45 MW of hydro, enough to power 50,000 homes, and helping to meet Quebec’s need for more electricity.

The resulting ash can be used in the production of cement and as a sand replacement on roads. The metal is extracted with magnets, divided into ferrous and non-ferrous, and can be sold. In this way we hope to reach 97 per cent diversion of municipal waste from landfill. The air that is released to the environment is well scrubbed through lime, water and a baghouse and is 99.9 per cent pure to the air. It is monitored at all times and exceeds EU and Ontario air quality standards. The most popular and reliable technology in the world is mass combustion which is in 5000 facilities. The construction would take three years and employ 800 people. The cost is $450 million Canadian, and we have already received pledges of $180 million from the private sector. The rest of the capital funding would come from Investment Quebec or the Green Fund. This will be a private-public partnership.

This technology is approved by the Quebec government and is recommended by the BAPE. I have spoken to many people in Quebec and Ontario over the past five years and I am excited that the City of Ottawa has recently voted to look at technologies rather than building another landfill.

Last November I organized a trip with the council of mayors, staff and municipal directors general to the Durham/York Energy Centre near Toronto. It is operated by the world leader Covanta. They have 55 successful facilities in the world. Covanta is our choice.

At this point we would like to begin our business plan as it is important to quantify the information for operating expense and feasibility. I will hold town hall meetings and I encourage you to attend and bring your questions.

Jane Toller

Warden, MRC Pontiac

Language concerns

Dear Editor,

I am concerned about French (first and only) stories in THE EQUITY on May 24.

1) “Xplore offre…16 000 foyers au Quebec

2) Des protecteurs de l’élève

3)Le gouvernement du Canada soutient…de l’Outaouais

4) Registre des loyers”

What are these about? I subscribe to THE EQUITY in order to know what is happening.

I would appreciate these stories in English. We all need a fair and informative bilingual paper.

Rev. Mary McDowell Wood

Shawville, Que.