Gordon/Barrie Island votes to host proposed facility
GORDON/BARRIE ISLAND—Gordon/Barrie Island council has narrowly voted in favour of granting approval to Waste Energy Solutions and Technologies Inc. (WEST) to amend a municipal zoning bylaw to allow the company to erect a proposed renewable energy source for a waste generation plant and advanced recycling project. This despite concerns raised by a local resident last week that all hers and other neighbouring property owners’ questions and concerns have not been fully answered.
“Not all the questions submitted by the residents were acknowledged or replied to before council voted on the proposal,” stated April Patterson, a local resident who, along with Heather Jefkins, also a neighbouring property owner, and council members attended the council meeting last week.
“I feel let down by council because they didn’t respond to my questions do their due diligence in providing communications to the questions before they voted,” said Ms. Patterson. She said council had at a previous meeting encouraged residents to send in questions but then didn’t respond before voting.
| Read our related story: |
| • Gore Bay declines to extend water servicesto location of proposed waste processor (2025) |
Council voted in favour of amending the zoning bylaw which states in part, “Renewable Energy Generation Plan and advance recycling project shall mean only an electronic thermal conversion technology being a combination of thermal disassociation and flash J16
methodology without the presence of a gas recirculation system; The system operates up to 1,000° Celsius and converts organic and carbon waste stream such as municipal solid waste into renewable natural gas within a fully sealed, oxygen-free chamber, without the use of a fossil fuels catalyst.
In a recorded vote, council members Brad Wright and Jack Bould, along with Reeve Lee Hayden voted in favour of approving the zoning bylaw amendment, with councillors Isobel Harry and Cameron Runnalls voting in opposition.
“Everyone has had the chance to bring forward their thoughts, concerns and questions and we have held two public meetings and received reams of emails and letters. This has been one of the most thought out and discussed items we have looked at since I’ve been on council,” said Reeve Hayden. “The zoning bylaw amendment provides for a site specific use, for that location, and is specific on what the land can be used for. Even with that, WEST still needs to go through an extensive permit approval process from government permitting agencies. And they still have to go through the building permit stage.”
“First of all, garbage is an issue, and this has been the first legitimate opportunity presented to us to divert on our current system of garbage disposal at the transfer station,” said Reeve Hayden. “It’s an innovative option, but controls are in place through various government agencies like the Ministry of Environment Conservation and Parks. That is where a lot of the issues regarding environment requirements will be looked at.”
Reeve Hayden said the location for the WEST proposed plant is right beside the transfer station, having been the former landfill area before a transfer station, and is open to the elements and possible environmental disturbances. The WEST operation “would all take place in an enclosed building.”
“Jobs would be created, and we would be able to change from our current process of the transfer station, where we have to ship our garbage,” said Reeve Hayden. “The concerns expressed by neighbouring landowners were not taken lightly in this process.”
Reeve Hayden noted “there is no investment required of the municipality with this proposal, all we are committing is providing our garbage to this project proposal That is our only commitment.’
Councillor Cameron Runnalls, who voted in opposition, told The Expositor, “I didn’t have enough confidence in what I understood to be part of the proposal. It seems every question that was brought forward led to more questions.”
“I am supportive of the concept, there is a need for this in the province,” said Councillor Runnalls. “And I would like to see the proposal succeed. But I did not have enough evidence to make me confident enough to vote in favour of it, mostly because it is an unproven, untested, brand-new concept.”
“The (WEST) proposal hasn’t been through any regulation processes and can’t until all the bylaws were passed (by council) to allow for it. As a council we had to take their (WEST) word that it will work the way they say it will,” added Councillor Runnalls.
Councillor Isobel Harry said in a written statement, “The feedback we received from a couple of public meetings and some written comments indicated a need for more detailed answers from WEST. Concerns from a wide range of residents, from engineers to farmers and interested homeowners varied from wanting to ensure the proper classification of the site under the Environmental Assessment Act to worries about potential health risks from toxins and increased industrial use in a rural area as well as noise and traffic, among others. There is no question we all want to solve the Island’s no longer viable waste disposal system but there’s no rush to install an as-yet untested system without real life trials. I agree with some residents who want to see an independent third-party review and environmental assessment before WEST can proceed.”
Councillor Bould told the Expositor, “I voted in favour. To me the issue was one of approving the zoning amendment. That is all we as council (and as a municipality) have control over. All the regulation issues are dealt with by the province. And this system is far better than the transfer station process where we have to ship waste, which we have very little control over and is costly.”
“The operations being proposed by WEST will be scrutinized by the province,” said Councillor Bould. He said the WEST proposal, “is good for the municipality and could be good for all of Manitoulin Island. If Dodge haulage stops taking waste from the Island in the next 10 years, we will all be scrambling for a solution to our waste disposal issues.”
Councillor Brad Wright said after the meeting, “first of all, since I have been a member of council, we have never had as much discussion about any other issue as with this one. This issue sparked a lot of discussion, concerns, questions and comments. I believe that many government agencies will have oversight on the facility, if it proceeds. WEST still has a lot of hurdles to clear before and after it begins operations.”
“If the operator (WEST) delivers everything it proposes, it will save taxpayers money and there will be less environmental impacts,” said Councillor Wright. “It will also create jobs, which is a positive.”
Councillor Wright added, “I’m confident the Ministry of the Environment and others will have lots of oversight on the facility.”
Ms. Patterson said, “I’ve sent three letters to council on this issue.” In her delegation to council at last week’s meeting she outlined several questions to council including whether the new plant and work done prior to its opening and once operating, will it affect the quality of her well water and what steps the municipality has in place to assure water quality will not be affected. She questioned whether any consideration has been given to limiting operating hours of the WEST plant to provide neighbouring properties relief from noise, radar, night light and traffic activity. She also questioned whether the local volunteer fire department is adequately equipped and trained to respond to potential fires or other emergencies at a waste energy facility; questions regarding exactly how much waste WEST will need to produce energy from the plant, and if the operation will restrict nearby property owners to use and enjoy their land.
Ms. Patterson questioned whether the municipality has engaged legal counsel to review the WEST waste-to-energy proposal to identify any potential legal or regulatory issues. “Should something go wrong, either in the short-term or long term-such as issues related to emissions, environmental damage, or impacts on residents’ health, will the township hold any part of the liability?” asked Ms. Patterson. She also noted a concern with the 20-year contract the municipality will have for WEST taking all its garbage. “Reducing waste transportation fees is an attractive aspect of this proposal. Considering past business patterns, which suggest the possibility of WEST establishing (the process) and then exiting (selling), has council ascertained whether the long-term fixed rates contract would remain valid and transferrable under new management.”
In her letter Ms. Patterson added, “We are not the only community facing challenges with waste management. Is the council actively seeking out or exploring other options, such as alternative proposals, stricter recycling programs, bag limits, or developing a municipal composting initiative?”
