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Is Bio-Reach biosolids solution?
Lafleche pitching Moose Creek site for Ottawa disposal
by Tom Van Dusen
AgriNews Staff Writer
July 2002

Described by its developer as 'one of the best kept secrets in the Ottawa area', the Lafleche Environmental Inc. futuristic waste disposal site near Moose Creek is being positioned as the solution to the city's biosolids overload.

'Our site can handle more than half of Ottawa's biosolids waste if we were to arrive at an agreement with the city to be part of its greater waste management plans,' said owner/operator Andre Lafleche whose ultimate goal is far from modest.

'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.'

Lafleche told The AgriNews he sent an unsolicited proposal to the city and as a result has been invited to address the Environmental Services Committee July 23.

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 within city limits. The other half had always been landfilled.

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 in 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.'

The entrepreneur says his 500-acre site 30 minutes east of the city - where he also extracts peat - is ideally situated to take advantage of the Moose Creek bog's clay soils to create a waste disposal process that 'protects and replenishes the environment.'

It's much more than a dump, Lafleche says. It's a unique bio-reactor designed to accelerate decaying of waste while maximizing the collection of energy from the decomposition process; it treats all waste on-site, including its own leachate liquid.

Lafleche explained that his bio-reactor speeds up normal biological breakdown of materials from about 50 years in a traditional landfill site, to 15-20 years. It also captures and gathers methane gas for generating electricity and will provide sufficient power for at least 1,000 homes.

Another part of the Lafleche process is mining the site for soil recovery and recyclables. A composting facility will be added to the site next 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 per cent 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 Township.

'Our site is growing and will provide eastern Ontario communities with an important, state-of-the-art facility to treat their waste products,' Lafleche said. 'We would look forward to a partnership with the City of Ottawa to ensure it has the guarantee of long-term, safe and environmentally sensitive treatment of its waste... with a company in its own backyard.'