Robin Hood Bay has been confirmed as the full-service regional waste disposal site for the Greater Avalon Region. In accordance with the Provincial Solid Waste Management Strategy, the site will be retrofitted and fully operational by 2010.

"The Robin Hood Bay landfill will be retrofitted to include a materials recovery facility, a commercial indoor composting operation and leachate collection and treatment system," said the Honourable Dave Denine, Minister of Municipal Affairs. "We have already begun working with a number of municipalities to begin the process of regionalizing waste management and make preparations for the transfer of waste to Robin Hood Bay."

Robin Hood Bay currently handles about 80 per cent of the waste produced in the Greater Avalon region. When complete, the Greater Avalon Regional Waste Management Site will service over 250,000 people, approximately half the total population of the province. The site will manage waste from the Greater Avalon including Clarenville and at a later date may include the Bonavista and Burin Peninsulas.

Independent engineering assessments conducted by the City of St. John�s and the Department of Environment and Conservation indicated that Robin Hood Bay supports the environmental standards for an equivalent-to-lined site based upon the natural geological features. The life-span of the facility is projected to be approximately 40 years.

"Today�s announcement is a major step forward in ensuring that municipal solid waste is properly managed and disposed," said the Honourable Charlene Johnson, Minister of Environment and Conservation. "This site will also serve more than 50 per cent of the province�s population and go a long way in preserving and protecting the environment."

The overall cost of developing Robin Hood Bay as the regional site is estimated at $38.5 million. Approximately $6.5 million has already been committed by the City of St. John�s for preparatory work for the facility. Beyond the city�s contribution, the capital cost of developing the waste system will be absorbed by the province, with municipalities and users paying tipping fees to cover operational costs.

The integrated facility will generate sufficient revenue to offset all operating costs. The new retrofitted site will be able to accommodate multiple waste streams. The City of St. John�s is currently piloting a waste diversion program which encourages participants to separate their recyclables and organics from their regular garbage. Other municipalities will determine the number of streams they will contribute to the waste system, but as a minimum, users will only be required to separate organics from the waste stream to meet the minimum requirements of the Provincial Waste Management Plan. While tipping fees for household waste will be uniform for all municipalities, fees for organic and recyclable materials will be lower than waste destined for the landfill site. The Provincial Government�s plan will ensure that a municipality in the Greater Avalon Region will not be required to pay to transport their waste any further than 100 kilometres in order to access either a waste site or a transfer station.

Tenders will be awarded in the near future to continue to retrofit the Robin Hood Bay landfill to support the move to become the regional site. The Greater Avalon Regional Waste authority will be comprised of 50 per cent representation being held by the City of St. John�s and the other municipalities holding the remaining 50 per cent. The authority will consist of 16 members and one independent chairperson.

"The decision to identify Robin Hood Bay as the Avalon Regional Waste facility is vital to ensure the health and well-being of our communities and the protection of our environment," said Minister Denine. "It will help foster clean and more beautiful communities; contribute to the expansion of economic opportunities in environmental industries, and the development of new opportunities in these key sectors."

Municipalities Newfoundland and Labrador have been very supportive of a modern system of waste management for the province. "We committed to work with the Provincial Government and allocate a portion of the Gas Tax rebate for this important initiative. We are pleased to see positive action being taken on this important file," said Municipalities Newfoundland and Labrador President Graham Letto.

On May 8, 2007, ministers of Municipal Affairs, and Environment and Conservation announced implementation of a $200 million, multi-year Provincial Waste Management strategy. The strategy supports a regional approach to ensuring safe and reliable waste management systems for the province.

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