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Municipal Affairs Environment and Conservation May 8, 2007
Government Announces Implementation of
The Provincial Government is committed to delivering a modern solid waste management plan for the benefit of all residents of Newfoundland and Labrador. The Honourable Jack Byrne, Minister of Municipal Affairs, and the Honourable Clyde Jackman, Minister of Environment and Conservation, today announced implementation of a $200 million multi-year Provincial Waste Management Strategy to ensure effective and efficient management of solid waste in Newfoundland and Labrador. The Provincial Government has committed to advancing the strategy with full province-wide modern waste management implementation by 2020. "The Provincial Solid Waste Management Strategy will implement a co-ordinated, regional approach to ensure there is a safe and reliable waste management system for the province," stated Minister Byrne. "With the funding and implementation plan, we can move forward and continue the important work of securing waste sites, identifying full service regional waste management facilities and putting the proper regional governance system in place. We will also actively pursue opportunities to maximize economic and employment opportunities with a distinct focus on stimulating regional benefits." The strategy will establish a waste diversion program, establish waste management regions, develop modern standards and technology, maximize economic and employment opportunities, and assist with a public education program. Capital costs will be supported through an allocation of approximately 30 per cent of the Gas Tax revenue which will provide $22 million to 2010, and the Department of Municipal Affairs will contribute $22 million over the same period from its annual capital works allocations. In addition, government is pursuing other funding avenues to support operational costs. The strategy calls for three full service regional waste management facilities on the Avalon, Central and in Western areas of the island portion of the province, and programs will be developed for the zones in Labrador to meet the provincial waste management goals. Regional waste management authorities will be established in 15 waste management zones; 11 on the island portion of the province and four in Labrador. The Avalon Regional Site is expected to be operational by 2010, the Central site by 2011, and the Western Regional site by 2016. "Each regional authority will be responsible for waste management activities within the respective zones such as recycling, waste diversion and composting, as well as management of waste that is harmless to the environment and disposing of true waste materials at one of the regional sites," added Minister Byrne. The strategy will be administered by the Department of Municipal Affairs. Environment standards and regulations are the responsibility of the Department of Environment and Conservation. "The environmental standards and regulations will govern the design, construction and operation of all new waste management systems and facilities, as well as the closure of existing non-contained waste management systems. Collectively they will ensure proper protection of the environment and public health and safety," said Minister Jackman. "Furthermore, closure of 80 per cent of all waste sites in our province will undoubtedly reduce green house gases and have a positive impact on the environment." The original strategy in 2002 identified 250 dump sites which have since been reduced to 200. It is anticipated that the number of dump sites in the province will decrease to 40 sites, which are located in remote locations, through the implementation of this initiative. The provincial strategy will aim to reduce the amount of waste going into landfills in the province by 50 per cent supported by the use of disposal bans and development of new waste diversion programs.
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BACKGROUNDER Provincial Solid Waste Management Strategy
Newfoundland and Labrador currently has approximately 200 operating waste sites located throughout the province including over 20 teepee type incinerators. The number of sites expected to close under this initiative will be approximately 160 and for the ones that remain the province will work with the communities and regions to improve their operation. Newfoundland and Labrador has one of the highest waste disposal levels per capita in the country. In the past, the province has spent the least per household on waste management when compared to all other provinces. It was acknowledged that something had to be done to curb these trends and end the ongoing environmental degradation throughout the entire province. The Provincial Solid Waste Management Strategy was first identified in 2002 but stalled mainly due to a lack of funding to implement the strategy. The provincial strategy will aim to reduce the amount of waste going into landfills by 50 per cent. Revisions to the 2002 strategy include an amendment to waste management standards and regulations to provide that liner systems will not be required for existing sites where geological features on the site provide effective protection to the environment; and changes to the timelines � committing to advancing the strategy with full implementation by 2020 which was originally identified as 2010. A number of factors were identified as impeding implementation of the strategy including: no funding source, resistance by some communities to close waste sites, the absence of firm standards, and no implementation plan. Since the change of government in 2003, significant progress has been made, most notably a source of funding for the estimated $200 million strategy was established, environmental standards and policies were developed, and an implementation plan was constructed. Prior to the identification of funding, progress was being made as evidenced by the reduction in waste sites from 250 in 2002 to the 200 in operation today. The Provincial Government has committed to advance the waste management strategy with a goal to have full implementation by 2020. Funding for the implementation has been established through the Gas Tax ($22 million over the first four years, and a further $50 million in the years to come. There is a potential for $125 million by 2020 subject to the extension of the program), Municipal Capital Works ($5.5 million annually), and government is pursuing additional funding avenues. IMPLEMENTATION The framework in which the implementation of the Solid Waste Management Strategy will follow was recently adopted by government. The following sections outline each major priority and action to be taken in the coming months and years: Waste Diversion The government will pursue waste diversion initiatives aimed at reducing the amount of waste going into landfills by 50 per cent. This strategy will be supported by the use of disposal bins, the development of diversion programs, and by researching new waste diversion programs, etc. Regional Waste Management Delineation of the province into 15 regional zones has already taken place. There are 11 zones on the island portion of the province with four others in Labrador. With the proclamation of the Regional Service Board Act in 2004, government will now work to form regional boards whose mandate will be to oversee the development of the regional waste disposal sites and various transfer stations province-wide. One such Regional Service Board already exists on the Northern Peninsula. There will be three full service regional waste disposal facilities (super sites) to be developed in the Avalon, Central and Western zones of the island portion of the province. Once the three super sites are operational, the remaining eight island zones will develop systems to transport waste to the three full service facilities. Concurrent with the development of the three regional facilities, work will be undertaken to close as many existing sites as possible, consolidate waste management activities, significantly enhance recycling and diversion programs and develop the transportation infrastructure required to provide full integration into the three regions. Modern Standards and Technology The Department of Environment and Conservation is responsible for providing the standards and regulations that govern the design, construction and operation of new waste management systems and facilities, and the closure of existing non-contained waste management systems. The department has developed six new environmental standards that apply to new waste management systems, lateral expansion of new waste management systems, or decommissioning of unlined existing landfill sites. The environmental standards include: These standards require treatment, containment and continuous monitoring to reduce and eliminate any environmental impacts. Systems operators will be required to have formal training and contingency plans prepared. They will also be required to report regularly to the department. Maximize Economic and Employment Opportunities The government will actively pursue opportunities to maximize economic and employment benefits with a distinct focus on stimulating regional benefits. Timelines The Provincial Solid Waste Management Strategy will begin immediately, with the following time-line for specific targets and goals:
2007 05 08 11:05 a.m.
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