October 22, 1998

To:Works and Utilities Committee

From:Michael A. Price, General Manager, Water and Wastewater Services

Subject:Biosolids Multi-Stakeholder Committee - Parking Lot Issues

Purpose:

To advise the Works and Utilities Committee on how the September 24, 1998 summary of "Parking Lot Issues"prepared by the Biosolids Multi-Stakeholder Committee will, or have been addressed.

Funding Sources, Financial Implications and Impact Statement:

Not Applicable.

Recommendations:

That this report be received for information.

Council Reference/Background/History:

In accordance with Clause 2 of Report No. 6 of the Works and Utilities Committee City of Toronto Council authorized the Commissioner of Works and Emergency Services to establish the Biosolids Multi-Stakeholder Committee. The role of the Biosolids Multi-Stakeholder Committee (BMSC) is to assist in the overall development of the biosolids program by helping to chart the directions of the program, its goals and intentions. The BMSC provides input into the assessment of options or types of technology and highlight specific concerns of the community. Input into the development of the decision-making models and criteria to be used was gathered from the BMSC. The BMSC gave support to the Biosolids Project Communication and Consultation Plan, September 1998, that addresses how the broader community should be kept informed on the status of the program(s).

The BMSC held 12 meetings beginning with the pre-meeting of July 6. The last meeting of the BMSC in 1998 was held on October 15, 1998. (The last meeting of the BMSC is scheduled for early 1999).

The biosoilds project demanded a fast tracked public involvement process. The BMSC met between three and four times each month for four months. Agendas were designed for specific tasks and issues to be addressed and decided upon at that meeting.

The BMSC began tracking issues using a meeting tool called the "Parking Lot". Issues that were outside of the scheduled agenda, or beyond the scope of the BMSC's role, were recorded on a flip chart at each meeting. Parking Issues allowed meetings to adhere to the agenda and therefore served as a time management tool. The flip chart was brought to each meeting and when new topics arose they were added to the original list of Parking Lot issues. This was a method of ensuring that issues were acknowledged and recorded as part of the process.

As this process progressed many Parking Lot issues were dealt with, to the satisfaction of the BMSC, through the Request For Proposal document. When the RFP document was complete the issues were presented to the BMSC for the purposes of verifying what had been addressed and what remained open for discussion. It was identified at the October 8, 1998 meeting of the BMSC that many of the issues were outside of the purpose of the BMSC. Councillor Betty Disero, Chair of the BMSC recommended that those issues be forwarded on to the Works and Utilities, through a report from the Commissioner of Works and Emergency Services.

The list of "Parking Lot Issues which have been set aside by the Group for resolution at a later time are summarized on Attachment A.

Comments and/or Discussion and/or Justification:

The Works and Emergency Services Department have underway several programs which will, or have addressed each of the issues in the "Parking Lot" Summary.

1.Issues 1 to 11, inclusive, 16, 20, 21, 27

These issues have been included in the Beneficial Use of Biosolids Request for Proposal (RFP). A Selection Committee will review the Proposals Submitted by Companies who have been short listed to ensure that these issues have been satisfactorily addressed. Further, the successful proponent who is selected by the Selection Committee will be required to enter an agreement with the City to ensure that the proponent undertakes the work in accordance with the accepted Proposal and thus addresses the issues identified by the BMSC.

2.Issues 12 and 13

The RFP document and agreement with the successful proponent does not preclude the City from undertaking further studies or pilot projects to assess future options for the disposal of biosolids and where appropriate to undertake pilot projects as required to determine the appropriateness of new technologies.

3.Issues 14 and 15

A separate confidential report on the existing Biosolids demonstration projects has been included on the Council Agenda for October 28-30, 1998 meeting.

4.Issues 17 and 23

The Ministry of the Environment has prepared a Model Sewer Use By-law which the Works and Emergency Services are now reviewing. It is intended that the Sewer Use By-law will include quality parameters which will support the City's Beneficial Use of Biosolids program. Further, it is planned that prior to recommending this by-law to City Council for adoption, a Public Consultation phase be undertaken to inform stakeholder groups and industries of the content of the Model Sewer Use By-law along with those additional parameters which the Department will be recommending for inclusion in the By-law.

The by-law will include a provision for a Pollution Prevention Program as a first option for industries to implement. The Pollution Prevention Program will encourage industries to address the quality of sewage effluent at source through a review of the industrial processes throughout their plants.

Further, the Department will be undertaking a Wet Weather Flow (WWF) Master Plan to deal with the quantity and quality of stormwater run-off. The mandate of the WWF Master Plan is to develop sound and responsible environmental management for wet weather flow, including stormwater run-off, CSO and infiltration/inflow based on an ecosystem planning principles. In the Combined Sewer areas, the "first flush" water during a rainfall event carry higher concentration of metals to the treatment plan. Reducing pollutant loadings through Source Control Initiatives may contribute to an improved biosolids quality.

5.Issue 18

An appropriate alternative use for the incinerator building and related infrastructure may be considered prior to the discontinuation of this facility on December 31, 2000.

6.Issue 19

The mesophilic sludge digestion process which the City currently uses provides biosolids of suitable quality for land application as a beneficial use alternative for biosolids and meets the Ministry of Environment Guidelines in this regard.

7.Issues 24, 25 and 26

The Works and Emergency Services Department intends to develop a comprehensive Biosolids Management Plan for all of the sludge generated at the various plant locations that will consider all of feasible alternatives for the Beneficial Disposal of Biosolids. In developing this Plan, further consultation will take place with the GTA Municipalities. Further, the Plan will investigate opportunities for minimizing the toxicity of the biosolids and ways of maximizing the Beneficial Use of Biosolids.

8.Issues 28 to 32, inclusive

These are closed issues which have been dealt with by the Biosolids Multi-Stakeholder Committee.

9.Issues 33 to 35, inclusive

These issues require further clarification, however, the successful Proponent who will undertake the Biosolids Program will be required to undertake further public consultation as part of the Biosolids project implementation. It is intended that this further consultation will resolve any further questions which may arise around these issues.

Conclusions:

The majority of the issues identified by the Multi-Stakeholder Committee have been addressed in the Request For Proposal document and will be responded to in the proposal submissions. Further, it is intended that the Sewer Use By-law to be brought before City Council later this year will include sewage discharge parameters that will enhance the quality of sludge for continued Beneficial Use of Biosolids. The department plans to further report on the opportunities for biosolids handling at other plant sites under a future report which will deal with a Biosolids Management Plan for the new City.

The 36 issues in the "Parking Lot" Summary were reduced to 35 due to a duplication of Issue 31.

Contact Name:

Wayne Green, P. Eng.

Director

Quality Control & System Planning

Water and Wastewater Services

Phone: (416) 392-8242

Fax: (416) 392-2974

E-Mail: wgreen@city.toronto.on.ca

Michael A. Price, P. Eng. FICE

General Manager

Water and Wastewater Services

WG/ea

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