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Home My WebLink About2008-04-10 Minutes 1-2 CLARINGTON AGRICULTURAL ADVISORY COMMITTEE MEETING THURSDAY, APRIL 10, 2008 MEMBERS PRESENT: Tom Barrie Gary Jeffery Jennifer Knox Mark Bragg Ted Watson Donald Rickard Henk Mulders Orwin Bandstra Mary Ann Found Councillor Gord Robinson STAFF: Faye Langmaid Marlene Werry, Durham Region REGRETS: Ross McMaster Eric Bowman Brenda Metcalf GUESTS: Chris Duke, OMAFRA Chair called the meeting to order at 7:30 p.m. Adoption of Aqenda 08.10 Moved by Mary-Ann Found, seconded by Orwin Bandstra 'That the Agenda for April 1 0, 2008 be adopted" Approval of Minutes 08.11 Moved by Donald Rickard, seconded by Ted Watson "That the minutes of the January 10, 2008 meeting be approved as corrected." Guests: Chris Duke, Program Analyst, Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs Anaerobic digestion is agri-food contribution to Ontario's renewable energy production. A reduction of greenhouse gas emissions and promote digestate as a land-applied crop nutrient. Anaerobic digestion is oxygen-free decomposition. Biogas is created by the process of breaking down of organic matter in oxygen free conditions. Organic materials such as manure, food byproducts and crops are put in a sealed holding tank for 5-100 days at a temperature between 200C and 50oC. The resulting product is biogas and non-digestible organic materials. This process removes most pathogens and odour The benefits of anaerobic digestion are manure treatment that is 95-99% odour and pathegon free. Economic returns linked to non-commodity product last year were $500 million in Germany were this process is currently being used. A renewable energy production and climate change emissions reductions. Some regulations are already in place for anaerobic digestion Max 5000 m3/year Max 1 00 m3 on-site · Max 25% by volume off-farm materials Of remaining material, 50% must be manure · 3 Lists of Materials (called Schedules) - Permitted materials - (primarily food processing and pre-consumer food products and byproducts) - Permitted materials with pre-treatment (700C for 1 hour or 550C for 20 hours) - (primarily meat plant products) - Excluded materials · Nutrient Management Strategy, record keeping · Digestate treated as Ag Source Material The value from digestate: · Digestate" is the digester effluent · Liquid contains most nutrients - Nutrients for growing crops Solid/liquid separator: - Solids: · Bedding Material · Fibre material for plastic reinforcement · Peat-like product for horticultural market - Liquids: · Land application (best value) There are safety considerations: - Stored biogas is combustible, but low volume, low pressure - Compare to energy content in propane cylinder Gases from storage of input material - potential risks - Need to handle input and output materials properly Technical Standards and Safety Authority (TSSA) is gas use authority in Ontario Canadian Standards Association (CSA) standard being developed There are currently several farm-based systems constructed or in the planning stages in Ontario. There is biogas funding programs to kick-start the sector (currently a backlog of applications, program is 6 months old, designed for 2 year span). The start up cost is a minimum of $200,000 minimum. These are very efficient systems to run. Operations need to be able to sell "green" energy (this requires an agreement with Ontario Power Authority) and be able to utilize and get full value from side benefits. Construction needs to meet local building requirements for permits, MSDS as well as zoning and assessment regulations. Business Arising from Minutes The Site Alteration By-law will be going to GP&A in a report from the Engineering Services Department on Monday, April 14. Only change of significance to committee is the ORM regulation, which was not in the draft reviewed. AACC April 10, 2008 A public consultation is being held over four days to review the Sign By-law. The dates are: April 21 in Orono; April 22 in Newcastle; April 23 in Bowmanville; and April 24 in Courtice A copy of the Public Consultation Paper will be available on the website or in the Planning Services Department early next week, there is also a visual preference survery. Please attend the meeting or review and provide comments. Correspondence: The 2008 Farmland Preservation Forum, Land for the Next Generation of Ontario Farmers will take place in Guelph, April 17th, 2008. Reports from Committees 407Committee Things are moving along. The next public meetings will be scheduled for June, after some tweaking of the route. Suggested that a request be made to have the consultants meet with the Ag Committee to discuss bridges. DAAC DAAC passed a resolution to request MPAC to provide a breakdown of assessments. They also want to encourage a partial exemption for farm markets if 50% of what is sold at the market is grown on the farm. Also, bunk houses need to be assessed as farm property. Durham Region is doing a review of development charges. A sub-committee will meet to make recommendations. One such recommendation will be regarding bunk houses. If you build one bunk house for 40 people you are charged one development fee. If you build four bunk houses, each to house 10 people, you pay four developments fees. Durham Federation of Aqriculture Durham Federation recently had the a land valuation consultant speak to committee with regard to the 407. The 407 has not been declared a project yet, as such expropriations cannot proceed, it is on a willing buyer/seller basis. They believe it will be 2010 before the EA is approved and expropriations can start to happen. They believe that when the process of acquiring property begins there will be room for negotiations with affected land owners. In the case where the majority of land is being taken and the owner is facing economic hardship due to the loss of the farm they will probably buyout the whole farm. If land owners are not willing to negotiate, expropriation will take place. If you are involved in negotiations/expropriation it is suggested that you retain a lawyer who is familiar with both processes. This will not be a painless process. OFA will be combine areas to create zones. Durham/Kawartha/Peterborough will become one zone. This will change the structure of the OPA Board and reduce the number of directors. Farm connections was very successful. AACC April 10, 2008 Other Business The Draft Guidelines to Grow the Greenbelt is a what criteria should they use if they grew the Greenbelt. The Greenbelt is not up for renewal for another five years (10 years from date of passing in 2004). Clarington provided comments on the criteria but have not taken a position on whether the Greenbelt should grow or shrink. John O'Toole has sent an e-mail regarding Bill 50, An Act to Amend the Ontario Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Act. was tabled April 3, 2008. This Legislation makes a number of changes in laws regarding the powers of the Ontario Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals, the obligation of veterinarians to report animal abuse, and provincial offences related to the care of animals. Under 11.2(6) of Bill 50, there are exceptions for "activities carried on in accordance with reasonable and generally accepted practices of agricultural animal care, management or husbandry," Comments should be forwarded to John O'Toole. Future Agendas May Mary Jane Conboy of Well Wise Centre on Well regulations and funding for decommissioning June Dan O'Connor, Farm Tec Ethanol Moved to Adjourn Donald AACC April 10, 2008