Landfill fix could cost millions

By Frank Matys Orillia Today January 28, 2010
Orillia – Environmental concerns at Orillia’s landfill have the Ontario government recommending significant changes that could cost millions of dollars to carry out.
“To me, this looks like the city is getting clobbered pretty hard here,” Coun. Maurice McMillan said of an environment ministry report on the Kitchener Street landfill.
Among several concerns raised during a recent inspection was evidence that water passing through the site – known as leachate – is flowing into Lake Simcoe and leading to “significant” phosphorous loading.
Staff is examining the report in greater detail and will meet with ministry officials in February.
Whatever the outcome of those discussions, “we are obliged to deal with the recommendations to the ministry’s satisfaction,” public works director Peter Dance told Orillia Today.
Ministry officials also found evidence of a “strong concentrated leachate plume that is discharging into Lake Simcoe” from a former landfill situated beneath Kitchener Park.
“The MOE hasn’t raised concerns about that site in the past,” said Dance, suggesting that material flowing into the lake could be the result of goose droppings, fertilizer or effluent from the nearby water treatment plant. 
“There is an element of this of understanding of how the MOE came to their comments, but then also making sure that any work that is contemplated is actually going to solve the problem, rather than perhaps solving the wrong problem,” he said.
Cormorants that frequent the landfill site could be contributing to higher levels of phosphorous in the lake, he added.
Were the city to install wells and pumps to capture and remove leachate flowing from the landfill, “it is conceivable you could spend $1 million or $2 million,” Dance said.
Likewise, adding a protective liner, cap and gas venting system to the dump – as recommended by the province – would represent “a huge expense,” he said.
“We want to make sure the money that gets spent goes to solve problems,” Dance added.
Staff will report to council regarding its discussions with the province.
“If we are negligent, if we let things deteriorate to the point where it is going to cost us a million dollars now to fix it, then I think there are more serious questions that need to be asked,” said Coun. Michael Fogarty.
Asked whether the city was at risk of having the landfill closed, Dance replied that, “we are a long way from that.”
“It is certainly not an immediate risk, and I would anticipate that we’ll be able to fulfill anything that should come out of this process,” he added.
Minor changes are already under way at the compost facility – also cited as a cause of concern, Dance noted.
The ministry’s findings do not reflect on the quality of Orillia’s drinking water, he added.
“From a drinking water perspective, this certainly isn’t an issue,” he said.