DURHAM — Clarington council has declared itself an unwilling host community to the anaerobic digestion and waste presort facility the Region of Durham wants to build in south Courtice.
“It’s important that we send a clear message that we do not want this … We don’t want a rotten food factory here,” said Councillor Corinna Traill.
The Region of Durham wants to build a new mixed-waste presorting and anaerobic digestion facility to get recyclable and organic material out of the garbage, which winds up at the Durham energy from waste (EFW, a.k.a. incinerator) facility.
The Region considered six possible locations for the facility: South Clarington, North Clarington, West Scugog, East Scugog, Oshawa and Whitby. In mid-March, a report said the mixed waste presorting and anaerobic digestion facility should be built in south Courtice, beside the Durham York Energy Centre at 1797 Megawatt Dr. in Courtice.
“This is like the incinerator all over again. Their only justification is because they own the site,” said Councillor Margaret Zwart.
Here’s why the Durham report recommended the South Courtice location:
• The site is big enough
• The shortest waste transfer distance
• Trucks are already heading to the EFW, so the new facility will have lower traffic impact
• No significant road upgrades needed
• It has no sensitive receptors within 500 metres of the site boundary; no Greenbelt or Oak Ridges Moraine land
• It’s undeveloped land, which means no big demolition or remediation costs
“When combined with the DYEC, the site will have the technology in place to separate waste for recycling, organics treatment and residual waste disposal while generating renewable natural gas and electricity as well as digestate for use in agricultural soil enhancement. With this system in place, disposal needs at the DYEC and landfill will be reduced,” Susan Siopis, Durham's commissioner of works, said in a letter to Clarington. “It is important to note that the mixed waste presort aspect of this project will be the first of its kind in North America, and while AD is utilized in Canada, the comprehensive waste management system being proposed will be unique and will likely draw significant interest to the site, the Energy Park and to the Municipality of Clarington.”
Here’s some of the reasons Clarington doesn’t want it in south Courtice:
• There are big development plans for this area – including OPG headquarters, East Penn and the Courtice Waterfront and Energy Park – that weren’t factored enough into the decision
• The added truck traffic could impact the already poor airshed quality
• The property is designated for heavy employment use; with an estimated 40 jobs, the facility does not meet the minimum employment density target
• The facility won’t align with the Energy Park objectives; there are concerns that the stated potential for district energy may not actually be realized
• The facility could cause bad smells for future area residents
• The site is a highly-visible gateway to this part of Courtice, and there are concerns about the design of the proposed facility
• The tight timeline did not give the region enough time to consult the public
“This is not a well-chosen site … We’ve got big concerns about this,” said regional councillor Joe Neal.
Clarington council asked the Region of Durham to respond with their concerns about the anaerobic digestion and waste presort facility, and collaborate with the municipality on the economic development objectives of the Courtice Waterfront and Energy Park area.