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HomeMy WebLinkAbout2012-08-23 Minutes CLARINGTON AGRICULTURAL ADVISORY COMMITTEE MEETING THURSDAY, AUGUST 23rd , 2012 MEMBERS PRESENT: Brenda Metcalf John Cartwright Les Caswell Gary Jeffery Eric Bowman STAFF: Faye Langmaid, Kevin Jarus REGRETS: Mary Ann Found, Don Rickard, Ted Watson, Mark Bragg Councillor Wendy Partner, Jenni Knox, Tom Barrie GUESTS: Meg Morris (Covanta), Amy Boddington (Devon Group), Nancy Rutherford '✓ (Durham Region) _ Gary welcomed all to the meeting, everyone introduced themselves. Adoption of Agenda 012-16 Moved by Eric Bowman, seconded by Brenda Metcalf A - "That the Agenda for August 23 Id 2012 be adopted" ? CARRIED Approval of Minutes - 012-17 Moved by John Cartwright, seconded by Les Caswell N �r That the minutes of the Jul 12"' 2012 meeting be approved." 'roved." ' � )PIP —r CARRIED Presentation: Meg Morris from Covanta presented the following: Covanta is an energy-from-waste (EFW) facility owner/operator with over 40 facilities around the world. An overview was given of how EFW facilities are an important part of the "Four-R's" waste-hierarchy principle of Reduce, Reuse, Recycle, and Recover. EFW facilities aid in the idea of "recovering", as in recovering the energy input from waste and putting that energy back into the power system. Meg reviewed how plastic products and other waste can be disposed of in EFW facilities, which may not normally be recyclable (such as hay wrap plastics which were not accepted at recycling facilities due to contamination). EFW facilities and processes are found around the world, Canada has not adopted EFW's as readily as some other countries. Germany, Denmark, and Japan all dispose of a significant amount of waste using EFW processes, Canada disposes of less than 5% of waste using Agricultural Advisory Committee of Clarington August 23 rd, 2012 EFW's. Other countries, such as Great Britain, are only just beginning to realize the potential of EFW facilities and are becoming more open and accepting of their benefits. Meg conducted a thorough overview of how EFW facilities work, from the initial collection/input of waste, to the final output of energy and CO2. The process begins with an initial sorting and screening of waste, both in and out of the collection truck. Trucks initially pass through radiation detection monitors, followed by the picking-out of known contaminants and larger metal objects for recycling. Once the waste is screened, it is sent into a pit where it is collected by a large scooping device and dumped into the combustion chamber. From here, the energy from the combustion spins energy-producing turbines, and the leftover ash from the burn is sorted and either shipped for refinement and use in concrete or road infrastructure projects. The fly-ash is disposed of at an ash waste landfill. Numerous other processes and machines are used to clean the gas and other byproducts of the burned waste. In the end, the primary emission from the stack of the facility is CO2. Meg explained however that the CO2 that is emitted is less harmful for the environment than the methane that is emitted from typical landfill sites. Studies have shown methane to be up to 35 times environmentally worse than CO2. EFW facilities can also conduct "special burn operations", which can target either higher- security waste (such as sensitive documents that need to be completely destroyed, or burns of illegal substances). Pharmaceuticals can also be disposed of in EFW facilities in a safer, more environmentally friendly manner than Iandfilling. Meg noted that Covanta always aspires to being well below the national and regional emission standards, to ensure that there is no chance of ever exceeding acceptable levels. The discussion following the presentation included a number of questions, of which the answers can be found below: - The timeline for the opening of the facility in Clarington is approximately 03/Q4 of 2014. - The burning of invasive flora species is definitely a possibility at EFW facilities. Members of the committee noted that this may aid in the battle against wild parsnip and hogweed in Clarington. - While not all Covanta EFW facilities offer education centres (like the one the Clarington facility will have), Meg noted that all Covanta sites do offer guided tours of their facilities. - Regarding Covanta's corporate stewardship initiatives or attitude, Meg stated that while they would like to aid in as many initiatives as possible, there are limited funds for this. However, programs that are related to offsetting some of the negative impacts of EFW facilities (namely the emission of CO2), would be given consideration for aid. This could include the planting of trees, or contributions to projects that include recycled materials (such as benches). The presentation by Meg was extremely insightful, and helped to dispel some of the negative myths around EFW facilities. It was noted that the committee would like more people to become educated with the EFW process, which may help to allay some fears related to the construction of the new EFW site in Clarington. Many thanks to Meg for her presentation. Business Arising Letter sent to Durham College — A letter was sent to the Durham College Board in support of Durham College's "Centre for Food" at their Whitby Campus. Correspondence and Council Referrals —Council is in recess. Agricultural Advisory Committee of Clarington August 23 rd, 2012 Email regarding funding for stewardship programs in the Bowmanville and Soper Creek watersheds from Ontario Federation of Anglers. Liaison Reports DAAC —The 10th annual Farm Tour attendance expectations and status was updated by Nancy Rutherford. It was noted that both Councillor Wu and Councillor Novak will be attending. DRFA — High School program set to go at Maxwell Heights. CBOT— NA REGION: Nancy provided the following updates: - Durham Farm Fresh went up to Muskoka to observe value-adding practices on farms in the area. The farms opened themselves to the public for education on value- adding practices. - Durham Farmers Market opens Oct 41n - Savor the season is Sept 121h to 23rd. - Update on the ethanol facility at the Oshawa Harbour. Other Business Greenbelt Advisory Committee Nancy and Gary gave an overview of the Greenbelt Advisory Committee that occurred on August 201h at Eric's farm. Overall the discussion went well and input was well received by all parties. The was a great deal of discussion regarding ground-truthing the boundaries of the Greenbelt to ensure lands that are needed to be protected are, and that non-sensitive lands are not mistakenly made part of the greenbelt. There was also discussion on value-adding opportunities and challenges for farmers in the Greenbelt. The Advisory Committee were very impressed with Eric's operation. Fall Harvest Supper It was noted that the Fall Harvest will be Septemer151h at Solina Hall. Future Agendas Discussion regarding liability and insurance on farms, Faye will follow-up with some possible presenters on this topic.. John Cartwright moved to adjourn. CARRIED Next Meeting October 111h, 2012, 7:30pm. Chris Darling from CLOCA will speak regarding regulations for wetland setbacks, and URS will be in to discuss the 401 interchanges. Agricultural Advisory Committee of Clarington August 23 rd, 2012