Springwater motion on organics processing / materials management facilities

Simcoe County Organics Processing Facility (OPF) and Materials Management Facility (MMF)

Moved by: Allen
Seconded by: Ritchie

Whereas the Township of Springwater is fully supportive of sustainable waste reduction and diversion initiatives to reduce the use and need of landfill sites, and

Whereas the County of Simcoe’s direct curbside diversion rate has remained relatively stagnant since 2012 at 52%, and

Whereas the 2015 Simcoe single family curbside audit revealed that the overall average waste generation of 574 kilograms per household remains similar to 2012 levels and is 8.5% ahead of 2010 levels, and

Whereas nearly 50% of the material in a typical household garbage bag could be diverted through curbside blue box recycling and green bin programs, and

Whereas the capture rate of curbside organics (green bin) continued to decline by 6% between the 2012 and 2015 audits (2010 47%; 2012 44%; 2015 38%), and

Whereas increasing the capture rate of curbside organics remains the single greatest opportunity to decrease the amount of waste destined for disposal sites, and

Whereas Simcoe County staff anticipates that it will take a number of years for the organics diversion program to become engrained, and

Whereas the greatest opportunity for diversion improvement remains the green bin program, with 40% of the average residential garbage bag being made up of food waste and other divertible green bin materials such as tissues, paper towels, and paper cups and plates,

Therefore be it resolved that before continuing further with the Simcoe County procurement or development of an Organics Processing Facility (OPF) and/or a Materials Management Facility (MMF), that the County of Simcoe be requested to conduct a comprehensive Business Case and presented to County Council and to Springwater Council and to the public;

That a Business Case include, but not be limited to, a risk analysis, market sounding process, a preliminary value for money assessment, including capital and operating cost projections, incorporating all costs related to the MMF and OPF development and cost projections for building and running an MMF and OPF under various growth and technology assumptions as well as recommended procurement and financing options;

That the Business Case include an analysis of the alternative options of entering into a contract or contracts with the best choice of service provider(s) to fulfill the County’s anticipated needs in waste management recycling, under appropriate assumptions, for a 7 to 10 year period post 2018;

That a financial impact study be conducted as it include an assessment of the costs estimated to be incurred by Springwater with respect to the OPF and MMF, an assessment of the net effect on jobs and benefits to farmers;

And it be further resolved, that until such undertakings have been completed, the Township of Springwater does not support the establishment of an OPF or a MMF within its jurisdiction, and

That a copy of this resolution be forwarded to all members of the Council of the County of Simcoe, MPP’s and the Minister of the Ministry of Environment and Climate Change.

Carried Unanimously