Staff at the Regional District of Okanagan-Similkameen (RDOS) have identified the Oliver landfill as the best site to establish a local residential food waste (organics) collection program.

But it will be up to municipal leaders in both communities before any final decision is made.

Cameron Baughen, the solid waste management co-ordinator with the RDOS, made a presentation to Town of Osoyoos council Monday morning to discuss amendments to this area’s Solid Waste Management Plan that was originally put in place in 2012.

Baughen said the key goals of amending the current plan include:

• Determining the final site for a regional compost facility near Kaleden or the Summerland landfill.

• Development of a residential food waste composting program for this area.

• Discussing carts to collect garbage and recyclable materials in this region.

Residential food waste collected in Osoyoos, Oliver and District A and C in the RDOS will be collected and transported to a local site said Baughen. Commercial food waste will be transported to a regional site either in Summerland or Kaleden.

While the Osoyoos landfill has better amenities in place to handle most waste, staff at the RDOS believe the Oliver landfill might be the best choice to handle organic materials as odour is a major concern and there are very few houses located anywhere near that landfill, said Baughen.

“Odour is the number one concern … based on risk and reward, Oliver may be the better option,” he said. “The Oliver landfill is the preferred choice at the staff level.”

There is less risk of public complaints by using the Oliver landfill as opposed to the Osoyoos landfill due to odour considerations, he said.

The Osoyoos Desert Centre is located close to the Osoyoos landfill and there are “million dollar homes” on Osoyoos Lake and the owners of those homes do complain on occasion when shifts in wind direction can cause odour concerns on rare occasions, he said.

All commercial food waste collected in and around Oliver and Osoyoos would be transported to the regional facility, he said.

Baughen has met or will meet municipal leaders across the South Okanagan and Similkameen to discuss this proposed amendments to the regional solid waste management plan.

He met last week with residents in Osoyoos and was scheduled to meet with Oliver residents Monday night.

Once a permanent site is selected for local organic materials as well as a regional site, municipal councils will have to establish a bylaw for construction of the site and a long-term lease agreement will have to be signed, he said.

Municipal councils will have the option once the collection of composting food waste materials is in place to provide small bins or combine collection with yard waste, said Baughen.

“We don’t know how we’re going to collect organics to be honest,” he said.

The 2012 solid waste plans called for the development of facilities to divert food waste from landfills and improved composting at landfills for yard waste, wood waste and waste water treatment sludge, he said.

A multi-year study was conducted and 18 sites were considered, six were brought forward for further review and two were identified as best locations, he said.

The Summerland landfill and Marron Road site near Kaleden have been identified as the best regional sites as staff agreed one regional site offers the best price value per tonne over multiple sites, said Baughen.

The two options for reducing odours caused from the collection of food waste include a “membrane cover” that covers materials inside a large indoor facility and an enclosed aerated “in-vessel system” that uses technology to control odours, he said.

The “turned windrow” system now in place to control odours at the Osoyoos landfill has proven to be very successful for residential food and yard waste, but not viable for commercial food waste, he said.

The industry standard and goal for the local system will be $85 per tonne for food waste at whatever facility is selected, said Baughen.

Baughen estimated it will take another year for the site selection process to be completed and he doesn’t expect a residential and commercial food waste system to be in place and operational for three to five years.

If any member of the public has questions or concerns about solid waste management in this area, they can contact Baughen at 250-490-4203 or [email protected].

KEITH LACEY

Osoyoos Times