Keele Valley Landfill Mining and Gas Collection

The Works and Utilities Committee recommends the adoption of the report dated March 10, 1998, from the Interim Functional Lead for Solid Waste Management.

The Works and Utilities Committee reports, for the information of Council, having requested the Commissioner of Works and Emergency Services to:

(1)review the proposal for the mining of the Keele Valley Landfill Site in five years= time; and

(2)investigate whether there are any other landfill sites within City boundaries that might be suitable for consideration.

The Works and Utilities Committee submits the following report (March 10, 1998) from the Interim Functional Lead for Solid Waste Management:

Purpose:

To provide information on the potential for landfill mining at the Keele Valley Landfill Site.

Funding Sources, Financial Implications and Impact Statement:

There are no funding implications from our recommendations.

Recommendation:

It is recommended that landfill gas (LFG) collection and utilization continue at the Keele Valley Landfill Site, and that landfill mining not be considered.

Council Reference/Background/History:

On February 11, 1998, the Works and Utilities Committee requested the Interim Functional Lead for Solid Waste Management to prepare a report on the feasibility and impact of mining the Keele Valley Landfill Site.

Discussion:

Landfill mining is the process of recovering usable materials from a landfill. Landfill mining can be an effective method to reclaim valuable landfill space, and may provide revenue from the recovery and sale of recyclable materials. However, a landfill mining program will interfere with the LFG collection system at the Keele Valley Landfill Site. It would create additional truck traffic and noise impacts in a community which is adamantly opposed to any extension of landfill operations. A landfill mining project would also be subject to an Environmental Assessment. Due to the development within the community and the potential environmental impacts associated with landfill mining, it would be difficult to obtain approval for the project. Therefore, the collection of LFG must take precedence.

Landfill gas is produced by the biological decomposition of wastes placed in the landfill and is comprised of methane, carbon dioxide, nitrogen, oxygen and trace quantities of other gases. The Keele Valley Landfill Site has an LFG collection system comprised of approximately 30,000 metres of horizontal collection trenches and 1,500 metres of vertical wells within the solid waste mass, dual LFG headers, and a network of gas migration monitoring probes.

If LFG is not collected and burned under controlled conditions, LFG may have an impact on the environment and the surrounding community. The main components of LFG, methane and carbon dioxide, are primary greenhouse gases. Landfill gas also contains trace quantities of other gases such as hydrogen sulphide, and mercaptans which, if released to the atmosphere, may cause off-site odours. A landfill mining program would require the removal of interim and final cover which could cause excessive LFG to be released to the atmosphere. A mining project would also interfere with the existing network of LFG collection systems and the continual construction of new collection systems.

In 1995, the City of Toronto (formerly Metropolitan Toronto) committed to a 20-year contract to provide LFG from the Keele Valley Landfill Site to a private power generator. The LFG is used as a fuel to generate electricity which is sold to Ontario Hydro. Toronto has received $2.78 million in net royalties from the sale of landfill gas which has been extracted and converted to electricity at the Keele Valley Landfill Site since May 1995. In 1998, net royalties from the sale of Keele Valley landfill gas are expected to be $1.17 million. The Keele Valley Landfill Site will continue to generate landfill gas well beyond the year 2015 for which Toronto, under contract with Eastern Power Limited, will receive royalties in excess of $20 million from electricity sales.

In 1997, a $600 million class action lawsuit was commenced against the former Municipality of Metropolitan Toronto alleging that the Keele Valley Landfill Site is a source of odours and a nuisance for the community. The certification motion was argued on February 25 and 26, 1998. The decision of the judge is under reserve. Given the class action, the City should not undertake any project which may be perceived to adversely affect the gas collection system or to generate odours and increase the nuisance potential of the landfill. Any action that may prejudice the gas collection system may increase Toronto=s potential exposure to liability.

The Region of York has expressed its opposition to a landfill mining project occurring at the Keele Valley Landfill Site. On January 15, 1996, the former Municipality of Metropolitan Toronto received a communication from the Regional Municipality of York, forwarding a copy of Clause No. 7 of Report No. 1 of the Regional Transportation and Works Committee, entitled ALandfill Mining, Keele Valley Landfill Site@. Regional Council, by adoption of the foregoing clause, advised Metropolitan Toronto that the Region opposed any consideration of landfill mining at the Keele Valley Landfill Site.

Any proposal regarding landfill mining would require environmental assessment compliance and approvals.

Conclusions:

A landfill mining program would negatively impact revenue from the LFG utilization project and could affect the environment and the local community, and therefore is not a feasible option at this time.

Contact Name:

D. Angove, P. Eng., Engineer - Operations

Solid Waste Management Division

Phone: (416) 392-3701; Fax: (416) 392-4754

E-mail: Derek_Angove@metrodesk.metrotor.on.ca