Waste management co-ordinator informs council intensive study will find best location by end of 2015
The Regional District of Okanagan-Similkameen (RDOS) is looking for the best site in the region to expand its recycling program to include food and wood composting as well as biosolids.
Cameron Baughen, the waste management co-ordinator for the RDOS, made a presentation to Town of Osoyoos council Monday providing details about the proposed plan to find the proper site to handle a large amount of compostable material for decades to come, said Baughen.
“This is a once in a lifetime plan and we want to get it right the first time,” said Baughen, following his presentation to council.
Between 30 and 50 per cent of waste is compostable and the RDOS board decided to commence public and private sector comparisons for enhancing organic management, he said.
The selected site would handle food waste, yard waste, biosolids, soiled paper and a wide variety of wood products, he said.
A company called Tetra-Tech EBA has been hired to provide feasibility studies and odour modeling to select the very best site, be it private or public.
Several private landowners have shown interest in providing possible sites and eight landfill sites spread from Osoyoos to Summerland will also be part of the feasibility study, he said.
They include the Osoyoos landfill, Princeton landfill, Princeton Hayfield site, Keremeos Greenfield site, Keremeos landfill, Oliver landfill, Okanagan Falls landfill, Campbell Mountain landfill in Penticton and Summerland landfill.
The next step will be to complete feasibility studies for available public site and complete the expression of interest for private compos sites, said Baughen.
A Request for Proposals for private compost sites will also take place and then a comparison study will be completed to take a detailed look at what each public and private site has to offer, he said.
The plan is to select the best site or sites before the end of 2015, he said.
While the Osoyoos landfill is a well-run, quality operation, it might not be ideal for a regional composting site because of odour concerns, said Baughen.
“There could be regular concerns about odours and the costs to control those odours could be quite high,” he said.
The process to select the best site or sites will be comprehensive and factor in location, odour concerns, shipping costs and all of the intangibles that come with collecting and storing large amounts of compostable materials, said Baughen.
“The study will look at the benefits of every private site and all of the public sites that will be under consideration,” said Baughen. “Everything will be factored in, such as how much it will cost to move materials from site A to B or A to C. It will look at every option that needs to be considered and then the RDOS board will be asked to select the best site.”
The Federation of Canadian Municipalities has provided $175,000 in funding to complete this study, said Baughen.
“That will be approximately 50 per cent of the project costs,” he said.
Coun. C. J. Rhodes said the Osoyoos landfill has proven to be one of the cleanest and most efficient landfills in the entire region and he believes it would rank high in being a strong contender to win the eventual composting contract.
“I think our landfill could be very successful if expanded to a composting facility,” said Rhodes.
The RDOS has been very progressive in implementing various recycling initiatives over the past decade and expanding to include compostable materials was the obvious next step, said Baughen.
KEITH LACEY
Osoyoos Times
