1

CITY OF OTTAWA ENVIRONMENT COMMITTEE

TUESDAY JUNE 16, 2015

AGENDA ITEM 5

PROPOSED 2015 2018 TERM OF COUNCIL PRIORITIES

THANK YOU FOR THE OPPORTUNITY TO SPEAK.

I WOULD LIKE TO URGE THE COMMITTEE TO RECOMMEND TO COUNCIL THAT

THE 2015 2018 TERM OF COUNCIL PRIORITIES REPORT BE AMENDED TO ADD,

AS AN ADDITIONAL PRIORITY, UNDERTAKING A COMPREHENSIVE AND

THOROUGH WASTE MANAGEMENT MASTER PLAN. THE COMMITMENT TO

WASTE MANAGEMENT PLANNING WOULD SUPPORT STRATEGIC OBJECTIVE AND

INITIATIVE ES2 REDUCE LONG-TERM COSTS THROUGH PLANNED INVESTMENT

AND STAGING OF DIVERSION AND CONSERVATION STRATEGIES.

THE 2011 2014 CITY BALANCED SCORECARD RESULTS SUMMARY NOTES ON

PAGE 4 THAT THE 2013 TARGET OF COMPLETING 100 PERCENT OF THE

MUNICIPAL WASTE MANAGEMENT PLAN DELIVERABLES WAS MET. THIS MAY BE

SO BUT THIS DOESNT MEAN THAT THE WASTE PLAN IN ITS CURRENT ITERATION

IS OF ANY VALUE BECAUSE IT WAS REGRETTABLY ENTIRELY PREMISED ON THE

SUCCESS OF PLASCOS TECHNOLOGY TO MANAGE RESIDUAL WASTES. WE ALL

KNOW HOW THE PLASCO OPTION HAS TURNED OUT.

DESPITE ITS LAUDABLE WASTE REDUCTION GOALS AND SUPPORT FOR DIVERSION

THE CURRENT WASTE PLAN JUST DOESNT STAND UP TO SCRUTINY. THE PLAN

BOUGHT, HOOK, LINE AND SINKER INTO THE PLASCO DREAM. IT DIDNT ASSESS

2

OTHER DISPOSAL OPTIONS AND THE COLLAPSE OF PLASCO COMPLETELY

UNDERMINES THE PLANS FOUNDATIONS AND KEY ASSUMPTIONS.

THE CRITICALLY WEAKENED PLAN DOESNT CONTAIN ANY DETAILED OR CURRENT

WASTE COMPOSITION DATA. IT DOESNT CONTAIN ANY ANALYSIS OF RESIDUALS

MANAGEMENT OPTIONS OR OF THE RELATIVE COSTS, BENEFITS OR

ENVIROMENTAL IMPACTS OF AVAILABLE RESIDUALS TECHNOLOGIES. THERE IS NO

REVIEW OF MUNICIPAL WASTE MANAGEMENT BEST PRACTICES. MOST OF THE

WORK THAT YOU WOULD EXPECT A MAJOR INFRASTRUCTURE DECISION TO BE

BASED UPON DOES NOT SEEM TO HAVE BEEN DONE.

I AM PLEASED TO SEE THAT THE PRIORITIES REPORT CONTAINS A COMMITMENT

TO A 4 YEAR PROGRAM TO ENHANCE WASTE DIVERSION IN PARKS, BUILDINGS

AND GROUNDS SERVICES OPERATIONS. THIS IS GOOD AS FAR AS IT GOES.

UNDERTAKING A NEW WASTE MANAGEMENT MASTER PLAN IS, HOWEVER, A

MUCH MORE IMPORTANT PRIORITY.

HOW CAN WASTE MANAGEMENT PLANNING NOT BE A PRIORITY GIVEN WHAT

HAS HAPPENED OVER THE PAST COUPLE OF YEARS ON THE PLASCO AND THE

ORGAWORLD FILES? THE CITY PUT ALL ITS WASTE MANAGEMENT EGGS INTO

THE PLASCO BASKET AND THAT BASKET IS NOW IRREVOCABLY BROKEN. THE

ORGAWORLD CONTRACT IS PROBLEMATIC TO SAY THE LEAST.

THE ANTICIPATED 2035 CLOSURE AND 20 YEAR LIFE EXPECTANCY OF THE TRAIL

ROAD LANDFILL (WASTE PLAN DISCUSSION PAPER, ACHIEVING OUR GOALS, JUNE

19, 2012) SHOULD NOT BE ALLOWED TO LULL US INTO THINKING THAT WE HAVE

LOTS OF TIME TO GET THIS RIGHT. OTTAWA IS LUCKY TO HAVE SUCH LANDFILL

CAPACITY AND IT SHOULD BE HUSBANDED CAREFULLY. THE FACT THAT WE

3

SUPPOSEDLY HAVE A WASTE PLAN SHOULD NOT CONFUSE YOU. THE CURRENT

WASTE PLAN DOES NOT ADDRESS THE SIGNIFICANT WASTE MANAGEMENT AND

WASTE DIVERSION CHALLENGES FACING THE CITY NOR DOES IT SET OUT A PATH

FORWARD. OTTAWA NEEDS TO GET OUT AHEAD OF THESE CHALLENGES AS SOON

AS IT CAN AND IT NEEDS TO MAKE UP FOR THE DECADE THAT HAS BEEN LOST

WAITING FOR PLASCO.

THE CITY SHOULD START BY BROADENING ITS CURRENT AUDITING OF THE

RECYCLABLES AND WASTES IN THE BLUE AND BLACK BOX PROGRAMS, THE GREEN

BIN PROGRAM AND IN LEAF AND YARD WASTE. A COMPREHENSIVE WASTE PLAN

SHOULD ALSO BE LOOKING AT WHAT EXACTLY IS IN THE 175,000 TONNES OF

GARBAGE THAT IS DISPOSED OF ANNUALLY AND NOT JUST LOOKING AT THE

RECYCLABLES AND WHERE THEY END UP. HOW MUCH WOOD IS THERE IN THE

WASTE STREAM, HOW MUCH RENOVATION AND CONSTRUCTION WASTE, HOW

MUCH METAL, HOW MUCH NON-RECYCLABLE PACKAGING, WHATS THE

MOISTURE CONTENT ETC.? THIS IS CRITICAL INFORMATION UPON WHICH TO

BUILD FUTURE DECISIONS ON WASTE DIVERSION AND WASTE DISPOSAL

TECHNOLOGIES, INCLUDING THERMAL OPTIONS.

THIS COMMITTEE AT ITS INAUGURAL MEETING OF FEBRUARY 17TH DIRECTED

THAT STAFF:

. . .UNDERTAKE, BEFORE PRESENTING A PROCUREMENT STRATEGY . . . . AN

UPDATED WASTE MANAGEMENT PLAN TO ENSURE THAT IT INCORPORATES

UPDATED WASTE COMPOSITION DATA AND TO ENSURE THAT APPROACHES TO

ADDRESSING ALL STREAMS ARE INCLUDED, INCLUDING A REVIEW OF MUNICIPAL

BEST PRACTICES.

4

THIS DIRECTION SHOULD BE A PRIORITY FOR THE NEXT 4 YEARS. GARBAGE AND

RECYCLING MIGHT BE OUT OF SIGHT AND OUT OF MIND FOR THE MAJORITY OF

OTTAWAS CITIZENS BUT WASTE MANAGEMENT IS A CRITICAL PART OF THE

CITYS INFRASTRUCTURE. IT SHOULD NOT BE TREATED AS A SECOND CLASS

LOWER PRIORITY RELATIVE TO OTHER, PERHAPS MORE VISIBLE ENVIRONMENTAL

INITIATIVES, SUCH AS INCREASING FOREST COVER AND STORMWATER

MANAGEMENT.

I URGE YOU TO MAKE WASTE MANAGEMENT PLANNING A PRIORITY FOR 2015 -

2018.

THANK YOU

DUNCAN BURY

193 COWLEY AVENUE, OTTAWA (613) 729-0499