Your chance to weigh in on proposed waste management project
By Lookout on Sep 23, 2020 with Comments 1
Esquimalt residents are being asked to weigh in on a project that would significantly alter how waste is processed in the township.
After receiving a presentation about integrated resource management (IRM) at a July 6’s council meeting, Esquimalt council tasked staff with reaching out to the community to hear residents’ questions and comments about the proposed waste management project.
Integrated Resource Management is a process used to maximize resource recovery from wastes that would typically get recycled or go to the landfill.
In the case of this study, the proposal is to have solid waste, kitchen scraps and yard waste processed using gasification rather than sending those materials to the landfill or composting facilities. Gasification is a process that differs from incineration in that the materials are not burned. Rather, they are subjected to high heat in a closed environment. The by-products are energy and biochar, a carbon-rich organic substance.
“It’s important that we hear feedback from our residents and businesses on this potential project,” said Mayor Barbara Desjardins. “What we are discussing here is a remarkable opportunity.”
Part of the impact to the township is the need to build a facility to process the waste. The report proposes using a portion of the Township’s public works yard to house the site.
The report also outlines various cost/benefit projections based on different scenarios, such as the facility processing Esquimalt’s wastes or opting to take wastes from additional sources in the community, such as commercial operations or large multi-family complexes.
To help residents and businesses get a better understanding of the project and what it means for the township, the public is invited to a live webinar on Sept. 22 where they can ask questions and learn about the potential project.
Council will review the results from the public engagement activities at a Committee of the Whole meeting later this fall.
The) survey is open until Oct. 9 to help gather input from the Esquimalt community.
The township has a dedicated project page that contains a video about the project, background information, the survey and a link to register to the upcoming webinar at esquimalt.ca/IRM.
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Many forms of gasification are very resource intensive processes that destroys valuable resources to create a synthetic gas which when used (burned) will release the similar toxins as an incinerator yet are unfiltered.
Using such a process instead of developing separate collection for organic waste that can produce nutrient rich compost for growing food is not acceptable.
Using such a process instead of developing refill or reusable systems and processes is not acceptable.
And using such a process instead of developing source separated collection for reusable and recyclable’s materials will lock this community into decades of future waste and divert valuable resources financial and otherwise away from waste reduction and reuse, recycling and composting initiatives.