Halifax report calls for major overhaul of composting system

A new report says Halifax's composting system needs a major overhaul. It recommends shutting one plant andmaking significant changes to a second.

"Our facilities are of an age that we need to do somethingabout them," saidCoun.Jennifer Watts, who alsochairs thecity's environment committee.

• Read the council report

A consultant reviewed the two operations that are nowhandling 50,000tonnes of food waste every year: theMiller Waste site in Dartmouth and the New Era facilityin Goodwood.The city bought the New Era operation inDecember and will take over management in September.

So it's not just what we may need, but how we want to operate. What will be our role?- Coun. Jennifer Watts

Neither facility meets 2010provincial guidelines for composting and will need significant upgrades to continueoperating after 2019. That's the provincial deadline for new and existing facilities to meet the regulations.

"It's an interesting opportunity for us to take stock ofwhere we've been, how we want to look at the compostingprogram we have, and where we need to move into the future," said Watts.

A review of the facilities recommends several options; they all envision shutting down the existing New Era plant.

One options involves building a replacement on theexisting 33-hectare site in Goodwood.

To ensure the Miller Waste operation in Burnsidemeets new separation regulations, the report recommendsits organic material finish composting at a farm site.

An agricultural location would allow a different technologycalled anaerobic digestion to be used, creating a better quality of compost.

$1 million in repairs needed

The report says the city's new composting system should initially handle 60,000tonnes a year and be expandable up to 75,000tonnes a year.

Costs for the eight options councillors will consider range from $148 a tonne to $209 a tonne. Both plantswill also need about $1 million inrepairs before any new system is up and running.

Debate on the report will begin Thursday afternoon at an environment committee meeting, but final decisions will have to be made by regional council.

Watts saidcouncil could decide to ask the private sector to submit ideas for revamping the composting system.

"So it's not just what we may need, but how we want to operate. What will be our role?" asked Watts.