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High-tech landfill opens
by Catherine Thompson
The Chesterville Record
October 10, 2001

MOOSE CREEK - André Laflèche, the founder of Laflèche Environmental has seen the realization of a youthful dream, which started during the early 1970's.
In 1973, Laflèche saw documentary about waste problems in Europe and worrying that Canada would see similar problems, started research on how to develop a high tech, environmentally sound solution to the problem of waste disposal.

Last Friday afternoon nearly 30 years later, Laflèche celebrated the official opening of Laflèche Environmental, a state-of-the art landfill site.

During the 1980's, Laflèche attended meetings in Eastern Ontario, where municipalities were working on waste management master plans, and he brought forward his ideas for a "refuse derived fuel facility" accopanied by landfill and greenhouses. But in the late 1980's, the Ontario government put a moratorium on incinerators, and Laflèche turned his attention to developing a bio reactor.
In 1987, he bought 140 acres on a site off Highway 138, which is a former peat bog with a base of impermeable clay. In 1990, he optioned 350 adjacent acres and partnered with Browning Ferris Industries, working as a consultant for BFI.

In 1996, Laflèche bought the landfill site from BFI, who were considering selling the Ottawa collection company, and the following year, brought in new partners, accountant Jean-Marie Laflèche and engineer Martin Zimmer.

The partners launched Laflèche Environmental in 1997 and received a certificate of approval in 1999, starting construction in June 2000. Since then, other companies have joined, including Horizon Environment of Quebec and Sita, a multi-national company in Paris, France.
The site has been up and operating and receiving 40,000 tonnes of waste from commercial clients and several municipalities since January, 2001.

Laflèche has approached many Eastern Ontano municipalities for their business and this week, North Stormont Township is working on a fee-for-disposal agreement with the company.
Casselman, Nation and North Glengarry have signed contracts with the company and the town of Prescott, and East Hawkesbury have a 10-year contracts. Laflèche also has a contract with Waste Services Incorporated, which has a contract with the City of Brockville.

The Bio-Reactor combines the low-cost disposal aspects of a landfill site with biological and engineering systems to safely dispose household and commercial non-hazardous waste, return available recyclables and eventually generate heat for greenhouses and enough electricity to power 1,000 homes.
The fill area is built on impermeable clay, which is divided into cells, and each is underlined by a drainage system to recapture the liquid waste or leachate which goes into a sump, a pit or well for superfluous water on the side of the cell.

Leachate is pumped into a lagoon, treated on site and some leachate is pumped back into the cells to aid decomposition.

Landfill gas will also be recovered to produce energy, and the company predicts that sufficient power will be produced for 1,000 homes for 50 years.

Heat and carbon dioxide, the two by-products created in the generation of electricity from landfill gases will be used to warm greenhouses and provide plants with rich carbon dioxide atmosphere for plant growth.

The fill area is 66 hectares in a total landfil area of 2l0 hectares, with enough room for expansion and a buffer area. Laflèche's certificate of approval is for 200,000 tonnes of waste annually, giving the site a minimum 40-year lifespan.

There are plans to set up a commercial waste disposal pad in 2002, and a drop-off area for recyclables and waste for the general public.

Ten million dollars of private money has been invested in the site, and another $100 million is expected.
The official opening was attended by many local dignitaries, federal and provincial elected representatives and ministry representatives, including Ontario Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs Brian Coburn.

The minister cited additional benefits from the bioreactor process such as the generation of electricity and the conversion of waste to useful commodities. He praised Laflèche for his innovative ideas in developing a leading edge technology which will reinforce the effects of the Nutrient Management Bill, in safeguarding the quality of water.