HomeMy WebLinkAboutPD-055-01
DN, P055-{) I
THE CORPORATION OF THE MUNICIPALITY OF CLARlNGTON
REPORT
Meeting:
General Purpose and Administration Committee
File# ~{)5'
Res. # GIIJ- 3% -() /
Date:
Monday, June 4, 2001
Report #:
PD-055-01
File #: PLN 33.12
By-law #
Subject:
SOIL ENRICHMENT PROGRAM - PAPER FIBRE BIOSOLIDS
AMENDMENT TO CERTIFICATE OF APPROVAL NO. H150022900500-03
SUBMITTED BY ATLANTIC PACKAGING PRODUCTS LTD. AND
COURTICE AUTO WRECKERS LTD
FILE: PLN 33.12
Recommendations:
It is respectfully recommended that the General Purpose and Administration Committee
recommend to Council the following:
1. THAT Report PD-055-01 be received;
2. THAT the Ministry of the Environment be requested not to approve the Amendment to
Certificate of Approval No. H150022900500-03 submitted by Atlantic Packaging Products
Ltd. And Courtice Auto Wreckers Ltd. for a Soil Enrichment Program, as it is premature
until the Region of Durham's peer review of the Benefits Study and the Bioaerosol Study
of Paper Fibre Sludge and "Sound Sorb" have been completed, and the, Municipality has
had an opportunity to determine whether a hearing is required under the Environmental
Proetection Acts;
3. THAT, in the event that the Ministry is not willing to wait for the results of the above
studies, that a hearing under the Environmental Protection Act be held; and
4. THAT a copy of Report PD-055-01 be forwarded to the Ministry of the Environment, the
Region of Durham, the City of Os haw a and the Township ofScugog.
1. BACKGROUND
1.1 Atlantic Packaging Products Ltd. And Courtice Auto Wreckers Ltd. submitted an application
to the Ministry ofthe Environment for an amendment to their Certificate of Approval. The
application proposes to renew the subject for the use of paper fibre biosolids (paper sludge)
in a soil enrichment program.
REPORT PD-OSS-Ot
PAGE 2
1.2 The current Certificate of Approval expired on March 31, 200 I. The applicants have made
the following requested amendments to the Certificate:
. To renew the Certificate for an indefinite period so that there is no expiry date;
. To allow paper sludge to be stored at individual farms for up to 9 months;
. To increase the permissible application rate to 100 tonnes (wet weight) per hectare per
year;
. To permit paper sludge to be applied to the surface of soil without incorporation;
. To delete various requirements for further studies.
1.3 Under the 1999 Certificate, Atlantic Packaging Ltd. And Courtice Auto Wreckers were
required to submit a Benefits Study that examines the soil/agronomic benefits and/or
detriments resulting from the application of paper sludge. The Benefits Study was
completed in April of 1999 and submitted to the Ministry of the Environment in January of
200 I. It was forwarded to the Region and area municipalities in February with a request for
comments by March 2, 200 I. We advised the Ministry of the Environment that the
Municipality would comment on the Benefits Study subsequent to the Region's peer review.
A draft of the peer review is anticipated in mid June.
1.4 The Ministry of the Environment, in conjunction with the Region of Durham Health
Department, is undertaking a study ofthe health effects ofbioaerosols resulting from the
manufacturing and use of "Sound Sorb", the storage of paper sludge and the land application
of paper sludge under the soil enrichment program. The Municipality is represented on the
Steering Committee. The Committee is currently in the process of finalizing Terms of
Reference to study bioaerosols related to paper sludge and any health effects.
1.5 Ground water sampling has been undertaken around the sites where Sound Sorb is being
manufactured. The results of the ground water monitoring have not been released to the
Municipality.
2. CONCLUSION
The above studies will identify whether there is a tangible benefit for the use of paper sludge
as a soil enrichment agent and whether there are health effects resulting from its use. It is
therefore premature for the Ministry of the Environment to consider renewal of this Certificate
611
REPORT PD-OSS-Ot
PAGE 3
of Approval until these studies are completed. The studies will assist in determining whether
a hearing is necessary under the Environmental Protection Act. However, in the event that the
Ministry will not wait for these studies to be completed, it is recommended that a hearing be
held due to the high public concern and insufficient information available to Regional and
Municipal Staff.
Reviewed by,
David rome, M.C.I.P., R.P.P.
Director of Planning and Development
d r~-.J~
Franklin Wu, M.C.I.P., R.P.P.
Chief Administrative Officer
DJC*sh
29 May 2001
Attachment No. I
~ Amendment Request dated May 11, 2001
612
COUNCIL DIRECTION
ATTACHMENT 1
D - 4
~ Ontario
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Ministry of the
Environment
Ministere de
l'Environnement
230 Westney Rd. S.
5th Floor
Ajax, Ontario
L1S 7J5
230, chemin Westney sud
5& 'tage
Ajax (Ontario)
L1S7J5
Central Region
York Durham
District Office
Region du Centre
Bureau de district
de York Durham
Tel. (905) 427-5600
Fax (905) 427-0602
May 11, 2001
U1IBCCIBnWTR1J)
Mayor John Mutton &
Frank Wu, C.A.O.
Clarington Municipal Building
40 Temperance St.
Bowmanville, ON
Ll C 3A6
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MAY 1 ~ 2001
'"uNICIPALlTY OF CLARINGTON.
MAYOR'S OFFICE
Dear Mayor Mutton:
Please fmd enclosed a copy of the application of Atlantic Packaging Products Ltd. and Courtice Auto
Wreckers Ltd. being submitted to the Environmental Assessment and Approvals Branch of the
Ministry of the Environment.
The request is for an Amendment to Provisional Certificate of Approval No. HI50022900500-03.
Under Section 32, Part V of the Environmental Protection Act, the Director has the discretion to hold
public hearings on applications for waste disposal site approvals. Should you wish to request a
hearing, please advise us in writing along with the reasons for your request. Requests should be
addressed to: Mr. Jeff Butchart of the Environmental Assessment and Approvals Branch, 250
Davisville Ave., 3rd Floor, Toronto, ON M4S IH2 (Telephone: 416-314-7967).
Yours truly,
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District Manager
York-Durham District Office
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Enclosure
613
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APPLICATION FOR THE RENEWAL AND
AMENDMENT OF
CERTIFICATE OF APPROVAL
No. HIS0022900S0(}-03
for
ATLANTIC PACKAGING PRODUCTS LTD.
___ SOIL ENRICHMENT PROGRAM-.
Submitted by
ATLANTIC PACKAGING PRODUCTS LTD.
and COURTICE AUTO WRECKERS LIMITED
MARCH,2001
,}...
614
Application/or Renewal o/Certificate of Approval
Supporting Documentation
Atlantic Packaging Products Ltd.
Soil Enrichment Program
1.0 INTRODUCTION
1.1 Background
Atlantic Packaging Products Ltd. (Atlantic) operates two paper recycling mills located at 111
Progress Avenue in Scarborough and at 1900 Thickson Road South in Whitby. The plants utilize
recycled paper products, including coated book paper, office paper, magazines, newspapers and
corrugated cardboard as feedstock to produce a variety of paper products including tissue,
newsprint, paper towels and cardboard.
Processing of used paper products results in a number of by-products, including paper fibres which
are too short to be manufactured into new paper products. These short fibres are captured in the
mills' process water systems, processed in the mill's water treatment plant, and dewatered. The
resulting paper fil::.~ biosolids (PFBs) consisting of short paper fibres, koalinite clay and remaining
water are authorised for utilization on agricultural lands under Ministry of Environment Provisional
Certificate of Approval for an Organic Waste Management System No. H-150022900500-03. issued
on March 4, 1999.
lhe Atlantic Packaging Products Ltd, Soil Enrichment Program has been authorized to apply PFBs
to farm sites inspected and approved by the Ministry as suitable. All applications must comply with
the MOE Guidelines for the Utilization of Biosolids and other Wastes on Agricultural Land (March
1996) and the specific conditions of Provisional Certificate of Approval No. H150022900500-03.
Since the inception of the Soil Enrichment Program in 1991, over 400 farm sites have been
approved to receive PFBs.
Paper fibre biosolids have been applied to farm land as a solid product using side and rear discharge
agricultural manure spreading equipment and high floatation trucks at a maximum rate of30 tonnes
per hectare (wet weight). Hauling and spreading operations are undertaken by Courtice Auto
Wreckers Limited.
The current Certificate of Approval expires on March 31, 2001 (January 2001 Amendment) unless
further amended. Since Atlantic Packaging Products Ltd. and Courtice Auto Wreckers Limited
wish to continue the Soil Enrichment Progrann, this application is being submitted to renew and
amend Provisional Certificate of Approval No. HI 50022900500-03.
A1arch 200t
615
.
Applicationfor Renewal of Certificate of Approval
Supporting Documentation
Atlantic Packaging Products Lid.
Soil Enrichment Program
1.2 Application Outline
The information supplied in this document is in support of the attached application to amend the
existing Certificate of Approval on behalf of Atlantic Products Packaging Ltd. and Courtice Auto
Wreckers Limited (hereafter referred to as the Applicants). Proposed amendments and conditions of
operation are presented in three sections as follows.
Section 2.0 addresses the overall scope of the Soil Enrichment Program.
Section 3.0 of this application describes the proposed operation of the Soil Enrichment Program
and the amendments to the operational requirements of the Certificate.
Section 4.0 provides information on the environmental monitoring program and includes proposed
revisions to Certificate to improve operation and monitoring of the Program,
~rch 2001
2
616
Applicationfor Renewal afCertificote of Approval
SupporJing Documentation
AI/anlic PackDging Producls LId.
Soil Enrichment Program
2.0 SOIL ENRICHMENT PROGRAM SCOPE
2.1 Duration of the Program
The continuation of the Program was previously contingent on evidence being produced in the form
of a Benefits Study that indicated clear benefits to farm land from the application of PFBs. This
study was submitted to the Ministry in January 2001, documenting positive and measurable
benefits.
The Applicants are requesting that the existing Certificate of Approval be renewed for an
indeterminate period, that is, that no expiry date be designated, since ongoing benefits have been
proven.
2.2 Area of Operation
The Applicants propose to operate the Soil Enrichment Program on sites approved by the Ministry
of Environment within the Province of Ontario. All sites listed on Schedule "F" of the current
Certificate may be utilized as well <l$3I1Y new sites that are appropriate and meet the conditions of
the Guidelines for the Utilization of Biosolids g!1fi.other Wastes on Agricultural Land (March
1996).
2,3 Provincial Officer
The Applicants propose to reimburse the Crown for reasonable costs incurred to retain one full time
Provincial Officer who shall be responsible for monitoring the operation of the program as outlined
in Condition 6(a) through 6(d) of the current Certificate.
2.4 Estimated Volume ofPFBs
Ai total estimated 150,000 tonnes of PFBs are produced by the Whitby and Scarborough mills per
year for utilization in the Soil Enrichment Program. PFBs are removed on a daily basis from each
plant.
March 2001
3
617
,-
Application/or Renewal a/Certificate a/Approval
Supporting Documenlation
Atlantic Packaging Products Ltd.
Soil Enrichment Program
3.0 OPERA nONS
3.1 Equipment
Courtice Auto Wreckers Limited operates a fleet of tractors and trailers to deliver the PFBs from
the mills to the farm sites. Courtice also utilizes a number of loaders, tractors and side and rear
discharge spreaders to apply the PFBs to fields in a uniform and consistent manner. A list of
equipment used in the Soil Enrichment Program as of the date of this application is provided in
Appendix A. The fleet is upgraded and expanded as required to ensure that it remains efficient and
reliable.
All vehicles used in the Program are marked in accordance with Condition 2 of the current
Certificate.
3.2 Storage
The Applicants propose that Condition 35 be amended to allow storage at individual farm sites for
a maximum period of nine months. This amendment is necessary ,jiin\=e the PFBs output from the
mills is at a steacY-l'ate year round, requiring delivery to farm sites throughout the year in order to
supply sufficient quantities to co-ordinate with the short farm cropping schedules.
3.3 Application Rate
The Final Report of the Atlantic Benefit Study indicated various soil and crop benefits from rates
up to 150 tonnes (wet weight) per hectare of PFBs, depending on target crop, farming practice
(no-till or conventional till) and soil type, Specifically, a rate up to 50 tonnes (w/w) per hectare was
recommended as beneficial for cereal and legume crops under normal farming practices.
Based on the findings of the Benefits Study, the Applicants propose that a rate of up to 100 tonnes
(wet weight) ofPFBs per hectare per cropping year be applied with discretion as required.
3.4 Supplementary Nitrogen
The current Certificate (Condition 33) requires that a minimum of 2.4 kg of supplemental nitrogen
per tonne ofbiosolids be applied together with the biosolids, and be incorporated within seven days
of application, The findings of the Benefits Study show that fall applications of supplementary
nitrogen is not beneficial and appropriate spring application is dependent on the existing nitrogen
level and the intended crop. Therefore, the Applicants propose that 2-2.9 kg. of supplementary
M(Y,ch 200 I
4
618
Applica/ian/ar Renewal a/Certificate a/Approval
Supporting Documentation
Atlantic Packaging Producr. Ltd.
Soil Enrichment Program
nitrogen per tonne of PFBs be made available to the farm operator to be utilized at his discretion
according to his particular soil, crop and farming practices requirements.
3.S Incorporation ofPFBs
Currently, Condition 33 requires that the PFBs and the supplementary nitrogen be incorporated into
the soil within seven days of application. Since two important benefits of PFBs are soil moisture
retention and erosion prevention, surface application without incorporation is desirable in some
instances. The Applicants propose that surface or incorporated application should be at the
discretion of the farm operator after assessment of the desired benefits of the particular site.
3,6 Benefits of PFBs Utilization
The Applicants believe that the Final Report of the Benefit Study has conclusively shown the
benefits of utilizing PFBs on agricultural lands and that further studies are not necessary,' The
Applicants request the removal of Conditions 17, 18, and 43 through 46 of the existing Certificate.
3.7
Public Information
In view of the availability of information in the form of the Benefit Study Report and Annual
Reports of the Program's operations for public access, the Applicants request the removal of
Condition 50 of the current Certificate.
M<<rc.1200J
5
619
ApplicatianJor Renewal oJ Certificate oj Approval
Supporting Documentation
AI/anlic Packaging Products Lid.
Soil Enrichment Program
4,0 ENVIRONMENTAL MONITOlUNG
4.1 Paper Fibre Biosolids Monitoring
The quality of the PFBs is set out in the current Certificate by Conditions 24, 25, 26, 27, and 39.
The Applicants support these requirements, but requests that Schedule "B" be amended to require
semi-annual testing of dioxins/furans rather than quarterly, due to the consistently low levels of this
parameter during the past eight years of monitoring. Historical data for PFBs quality can be found
in the Annual Reports to the MOE filed by the Applicants each year since 1991.
4.2 Soil Monitoring
All sites are tested in accordance with the Guidelines prior to being approved to participate in the
Program. Ongoing quality monitoring requirements for representative types of soil that are
receiving PFBs are set out in Condition 40, using the parameters listed in Schedule "C". The
Applicants propose to continue this monitoring, Should one of the sites being monitored be
withdrawn frOJnthe Program, a replacement location should be selected from among sites currently
used in consultation with the Ministry.
4.3 Water Quality Monitoring
Ground water monitoring is required by Condition 41 of the current Certificate for the parameters
listed in Schedule "D", The Applicants propose to continue monitoring using this protocol.
4.4 Complaint Procedure
The procedure to receive and address complaints is outlined in Condition 47. The Applicants
support this procedure.
4.5 Reporting
Condition 49 of the current Certificate makes provlSlons for reporting the operations and
monitoring of the Program. The Applicants propose that this be amended to require an annual
report covering the activities of each calendar year, to be submitted to the District Manager by
March 31~ of the following year.
6
}jarch 2001
620