County council supports Springwater recycling site
Clearview Township deputy mayor and county councillor Barry Burton said Clearview dodged a bullet by not being chosen as a preferred site for a recycling facility.
This after the public has been voicing opposition to locating a county recycling facility in Springwater Township.
Clearview was shortlisted as a possible site for the organics plant only but was not selected as the preferred site.
During its meeting on Tuesday, March 22, county council approved the location for the co-located Organics Processing Facility (OPF) and Materials Management Facility (MMF) in Springwater.
Council has also directed staff to proceed with this open process, which will include scoped environmental and engineering studies on the preferred location beginning spring 2016. The county will host two public information sessions on April 19 at the Simcoe County Museum at 2 p.m. and 6 p.m. The procurement process and Request for Proposal (RFP) for organics processing technology will follow. The opportunity for County Council to provide full approvals for development of the OPF is scheduled to occur in 2017 with results of the RFP and business case. Additional approvals from the Ministry of Environment and Climate Change and local planning authorities will be required.
“Approving the best location was an important milestone in this process as we look to manage and control our waste in a more responsible way,” said Warden Gerry Marshall. “Our staff will now focus their efforts on determining site-specific requirements, work to identify technology and continue to engage our neighbours and stakeholders in an open and transparent manner.”
The county-owned property at 2976 Horseshoe Valley Road West, Springwater ranked first for all three options – an OPF, MMF and a co-located facility. Industry-leading consultants evaluated 502 locations in three screening phases. Although not required for these projects, Environmental Assessment methodology and criteria was applied to the siting evaluation. Extensive public, Aboriginal and stakeholder consultation supported the evaluation process.
