County begins process to identify private properties for organics sorting site

New Tecumseth Free Press Online

Simcoe County is now accepting Requests for Expressions of Interest from any land owner interested in selling their land to the upper tier for a proposed organics processing facility.

The deadline to apply for consideration is May 22nd. Any site(s) shortlisted will be extended an Option to Purchase Agreement. County-owned lands including open and closed waste facilities, forest tracts, and vacant, undeveloped sites are also in play.

A report to County council in February that moved the site selection process forward, suggested the best case scenario would have a facility in operation in 2019, handling green bin materials, and potentially pet waste. A future option could include diapers and sanitary products.

Curbside collection across the County generates approximately 25,000 tonnes of organic material from green bins which is transferred to AIM Waste Management Inc. in Hamilton, at a cost of $108/tonne processing and approximately $30/tonne transfer and haulage (by County).

Guelph Organic Waste Processing Facility, which opened in September, 2011, is the model for Simcoe County. The 30,000 tonne per year in-vessel facility contains a tipping floor, pre-processing equipment, several in-vessel composting tunnels, a final screening line and an enclosed compost curing line, odour abatement.

The short list of viable sites (County and/or privately-owned) will be presented to County Council for direction following the evaluation process, then out for public comments.