Only months after the Regional District of Okanagan-Similkameen (RDOS) board rejected a proposal to build a regional composting site at the Summerland landfill, District of Summerland Council voted in favour of applying for funding to upgrade its existing composting facility.
Candace Pilling, Summerland’s solid waste and recycling operations project manager, told Council Monday evening that the composting facility needs upgrading and the provincial government has announced funding to municipalities interested in developing “organics infrastructure program fund” in their communities, she said.
Staff is requesting that Council support their recommendation to look into possible funding avenues to establish an organics infrastructure program in Summerland, she said.
The funding would be used to develop a much more expansive organics collection program at the Summerland landfill site, she said.
The provincial funding is available to support organics infrastructure at sanitary landfills across the province, she said.
“Staff is requesting that Council direct the District to further explore the organics infrastructure program funding opportunity and submit an expression of interest for the construction of a composting operation facility at the Summerland sanitary landfill,” she said.
Mayor Peter Waterman said he met with RDOS board chair Karla Kosakevich to discuss the Regional District’s plans to construct a regional composting facility.
Kosakevich said the RDOS board plans to meet with new municipal councils following this fall’s municipal election to discuss composting and the technologies around it, he said.
While he supports applying for this funding, Waterman reiterated his frustration that the proposed regional composting facility wasn’t built in Summerland.
“I find this fascinating, but somewhat baffling because we had the option to deal with waste material as well as kitchen waste in a dual, but separate enclosed, in-vessel facility,” he said. “There were issues around traffic, but it was never discussed what a transfer station might do to traffic in terms of reduction of numbers of trucks. We didn’t have the discussion around the potential of upgrading Prairie Valley Road to deal with safety issues that were definitely a concern of the citizens
“I do think there’s certainly nothing wrong with going ahead with this, but at the same time I think we need to recognize that a one-off facility is … the potential of that needs discussion around what the Regional District might have potentially in mind for us, because the ramifications of their involvement would have been a greatly minimized cost to the District of Summerland.”
Waterman estimated that the decision to not build a regional composting facility in Summerland cost the Regional District between $12 and $15 million in terms of loss of upgrades of roads and the potential to put a $5 or $6 million composting facility in place in Summerland.
“By all means, we should recognize that we have an opportunity here, but I think we should keep up in the new council when it comes along to be in discussion with the RDOS “because maybe there’s a way to still do some joint things that are beneficial.”
Composting facilities generate great amounts of methane, which contribute in large part to the build up of greenhouse gases “that know no municipal boundaries, so we need to be considering the implications of what it means to not contribute and be part of a larger facility that would help with the whole region.”
Tynan said she believes the RDOS will return to the subject of a regional composting facility in the coming months, “but we can’t miss the boat” to apply for provincial money while it’s available.
If the RDOS does move forward with a plan, the District would have the option of disregarding the expression of interest at that point, she said.
“It’s one of those things that kind of has to be done in tandem until something is flushed out,” she said.
Waterman agreed the best option is to move ahead with the expression of interest, but the future council and staff should keep in mind there is the potential the RDOS could soon revisit a regional composting site in the near future.
Coun. Janet Peake said it’s very rare for the provincial and federal government to provide funding to one province and having the opportunity to access funding to upgrade the composting facility at the Summerland landfill is something that can’t be passed up.
The program would build the infrastructure to allow municipalities to gather municipal and agricultural organic waste at municipal landfill sites, said Pilling.
The provincial government is putting in $10 million, the federal government is matching that amount and funding is available to local governments in B.C. only.
“It will be a very small pool of applicants applying,” she said.
The municipalities selected would have to provide 33 % of the funding for each project approved, she said.
The reason the province is introducing this program is to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, to increase capacity for organic materials, to divert organic waste to higher value use and to support nutrient recovery technology used in the agricultural sector, she said.
The Summerland landfill composting facility was inspected by Ministry of Environment staff last fall and a list was compiled of improvements needed in order to bring the facility into compliance with provincial guidelines and support the construction of organics infrastructure, she said.
“Should we wish to continue with composting operations at the landfill, there will be some infrastructure that the District would be required to build,” she said. “We see this funding as a great opportunity to explore a chance to supplement the budget required to move forward with the construction of infrastructure.”
The organic part of the landfill would allow separation of organic material from other waste collected as well as allow for agricultural organic materials to be create more organic waste capacity.
“It has to have quantifiable measures of greenhouse gas reductions,” she said. “What is not eligible is the organic waste collection program costs to the completion of existing resources … just duplicating what we’re already doing.”
The costs of feasibility studies and land acquisition, which isn’t needed in Summerland, are also ineligible for funding, she said.
Expressions of interest will be submitted in September and those communities selected from that process will have to present a detailed application for funding to the province in the spring, she said.
The program is set up to run until the end of 2022 and final invoicing must be completed by the spring of that year, she said.
Next steps would include a report on the stream of organic materials currently being brought to the local landfill and hiring a consultant to prepare the official application should Summerland be selected to move forward after an expression of interest is approved, she said.
A comprehensive construction and design plan would also have to be prepared, as well as a detailed public information and education program, she said.
Staff was looking for Council’s approval of applying for the funding and then hiring the consultants should the District be successful in moving forward past the expression of interest stage, said Pilling.
CAO Linda Tynan pointed out that many details still are unknown and the most important thing at this point is showing an expression of interest to pursue funding.
“I think it’s important that Council is aware we’re exploring it,” said Tynan.
If the Province approves the Summerland expression of interest, this matter would return before Council before any final application is forwarded, she said.
Only at that point, would budgeting of the project be discussed, she said.
Coun. Doug Holmes said this is too good a deal to turn down.
“I think it’s absolutely vital we go ahead with this,” he said.
A letter has always been drafted to be presented to the provincial government indicating Summerland is going to move forward with its expression of interest for funding, said Pilling.
“As long as they know we are moving forward and working on a plan, they’re happy to work with us,” she said. “We’ve already been in contact with them multiple times and had discussions about some of the possibilities and where we’re going.
“We actually will be creating a letter for them in the next few weeks that will address exactly what our plan is once we know we’re going to move forward with the expression of interest. I did meet with them last week on sit on Tuesday and we walked the landfill and discussed it again.”
To view Summerland Council's meeting from Monday evening, click here.
