Councillor yearns to learn if city can burn waste

As the city of Ottawa prepares itself for a likely contentious debate about a new landfill, city councillors have asked for information on whether the city can use an incinerator and other technologies to divert waste from landfills.

At Wednesday's meeting of city council, Coun. Allan Hubley co-sponsored a motion instructing staff to prepare the analysis of different technologies as part of a new master plan for dealing with solid waste.

Staff are preparing to bring the master plan to council in the fall of 2023.

The motion passed unanimously, but not without several councillors questioning the prospect of using incineration to handle garbage.

"Like many of my colleagues I have very serious concerns about going down the path toward incineration," said Coun. Jeff Leiper.

He added he worries the technology would reduce air quality in Ottawa and contribute to greenhouse gas emissions, both of which he labelled as "existential threats."

Leiper then asked staff if adopting Hubley's motion would signal the city intends to use incineration as part of its 30-year-long waste-handling plan.

The city's general manager of public works, Alain Gonthier, assured Leiper that was not the case, and staff would simply present the alternative as part of its master plan.

That plan will tackle larger questions such as whether the city will need a new landfill, a project that could cost up to $450 million and take 15 years to become fully operational. 

Need to look at all options, councillor says

Hubley said his motion does not "zero in on incineration" and it would be irresponsible not to examine technologies that could help reduce the need for a new landfill.

'If you want to be on the side of your residents and your community, you have got to look at other options," said Hubley.

In 2012, Ottawa signed a contract with Plasco, a local company that promised to use a process called "plasma gasification" to turn residential waste into gases using electricity and high temperatures.

Three years later, Plasco and the city reached an out-of-court settlement after the company missed its final deadline to provide plans for a waste-to-energy plant.

In the short term, Ottawa seems poised to adopt a "pay as you throw" policy that it hopes will reduce the amount of garbage ending up in the current landfill.