MOOSE CREEK - There's a strange stillness about Andre Lafleche's waste disposal site 50 km east of Ottawa, but you can't quite put your finger on it.
Lafleche helps out: "There are no seagulls," the developer of the 500-acre site points out proudly.
That's right! At other garbage dumps, squawking gulls flock by the hundreds in anticipation of the banquet laid out before them. Here, there's nary a gull.
"We make it very uninviting for them," Lafleche explains, describing his advanced management techniques which leave few tempting morsels exposed. Any gulls which do show up for a peek at the Lafleche operation are scared off by attendants using special devices.
Oh, and don't refer to the Lafleche site as a dump. It's the innovative "Eastern Ontario Bio-Reactor" which uses environmentally friendly technology to break down refuse, extracting methane gas for future electricity generation and naturally processing leachate into clear, odourless harmless water.
Biosolids overload
The Lafleche operation is being positioned as the solution to Ottawa's biosolids overload. Lafleche sent an unsolicited proposal to the city and, as a result, has been invited to address the Environmental Services Committee July 23.
"Our site can handle more than half of Ottawa's biosolids if we were to arrive at an agreement with the city to be part of its greater waste management plans," Lafleche said.
"Lafleche Environmental's objective is to create the world's most benign waste disposal facility."
Part of that process is investing in leading technology and partnering with universities to "expand the boundaries of environmental science and practice."
Two months ago, Ottawa wound up with way too much human waste biosolids on its hands after council voted to terminate the practice of spreading half of the output of its sewage treatment centre on farm fields. The other half had always been landfilled.
Obvious answer
In imposing the ban, council was told by its director of utility services that increased tonnage would severely limit capacity at the city's Trail Rd. disposal site. Council decided to look at other options for disposing of the excess; Lafleche says the obvious answer is his Eastern Ontario Bio-Reactor.
With an agreement to treat 100,000 tonnes of Ottawa waste, Lafleche would be in a position to accept over 20,000 tonnes of biosolids, approximately half of the amount the city will now have to ship to Trail Rd. or elsewhere.
Lafleche explained that his bioreactor process - which he developed with various partners over many years at a cost of about $10 million - speeds up normal biological breakdown of materials from about 50 years in a traditional landfill, to 15-20 years.
Another part of the Lafleche process is mining the site for soil recovery and recyclables. A composting facility will be added next year. Among ongoing research projects is one involving the use of shredded used tires instead of crushed stone in filtration. Lafleche said he'll eventually grind and use a million tires a year.
"The company is developing leading biological and engineering systems to provide long-term solutions to society's concerns for treating commercial and household wastes."
The Lafleche site has an 8 million-tonne capacity and a permit to accept 200,000 tonnes of waste a year, including a self-imposed limit of 12% biosolids. Charging an average $46 per tonne, it's already receiving 75,000 tonnes a year from several communities under extended contracts including Prescott, Brockville, East Hawkesbury, Casselman, North Stormont, North Glengarry and Nation Twp.
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Eastern Bio-Reactor operator Andre Lafleche shows clear leachate at his Moose Creek operation. |
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