Lambton County exploring waste-to-energy facility



A Lambton County councillor wants to bring a waste-to-energy facility to the area.

During Wednesday’s council meeting, Margaret Bird asked her colleagues to support a pre-feasibility study using a ‘single source bid’ from the Waste-to-Energy Research and Technology Leaders for $50,000.

The motion was ultimately tabled to allow staff to report back on the issue and to see how it could tie into the county’s updated Waste Management Master Plan.

Before the motion was tabled, Bird argued that a master plan update cannot be carried out until there’s a vision of what, why, where and how.

“Landfills are filling up. They are disgusting, gaping holes with lots of emissions. We need to do something now. The timing is very critical. We need some action.”

Bird said investing in a state-of-the-art waste-to-energy facility would bring global attention to the region.

“And it will give a clear message to global industry leaders that Sarnia-Lambton is looking to bring new technologies to reduce the carbon emissions footprint and methane gas from landfills, which is 84 times more potent than carbon dioxide over a 20-year period. ”

Bird added that the plant would take care of all of the county’s waste disposal, clean up the environment, create lots of long-term skilled jobs with relatively high pay, and take one of the county’s most challenging social problems and turn it into a source of new wealth for the local economy.

A number of councilors objected to the motion, including Dave Ferguson. He said with this motion, council is now dabbling in operations.

“There was no request for a proposal go out. We are being solicited by a company and asked to, by councillor Bird, to give them a contract. This has not gone through staff. I do not think this is proper.”

Ferguson also expressed how this issue should be addressed during the next term following this year’s municipal elections.

Councilor Ian Veen also spoke out against the motion.

“If this is such a lucrative deal, how come Waste Management and these other companies haven’t come forward to propose to us to put this plan in place right here in Lambton County? They’re in business to make money so I would think they should be approaching us and I think that’s the way it should stay.”

Councillor Brian White agreed with Bird that the waste-to-energy plant was a viable option.

“However, I do think that just this today, what we’re dealing with, is putting the cart before the horse. So, I’d rather wait to see the master plan before we engage forward in this type of a direction,” said White.

County General Manager of Infrastructure & Development Services Jason Cole said typically, before moving ahead with a project that would lead the county down a particular path, there would be direction from council, the steering committee and public input.

The county has already set aside $140,000 to update the Waste Management Master Plan. Another $70,000 will be added to the pot later this year.

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