Victoria, BC - The Capital Regional District (CRD) Board has approved a motion to allow a portion of biosolids produced at the Residuals Treatment Facility to be used at Hartland Landfill. The facility is part of the new core area wastewater system.
The majority of the biosolids will be used as an alternative fuel for a cement manufacturing facility in the lower mainland once the McLoughlin Point Wastewater Treatment Plant begins operating. The CRD is currently finalizing agreements for both transport to and use of biosolids at the cement facility. During times when biosolids can’t be transported to the Lower Mainland, they will be used at the landfill.
“Using biosolids at Hartland will not only help to capture landfill gas, but will also help sustain and improve the tree cover over the closed portions of the site,” said CRD Chair Colin Plant. “This approach demonstrates a beneficial use of biosolids, required by the provincial regulator, during short periods when cement kilns are shut down for maintenance.”
Upon further direction from the Board, staff will immediately include the full spectrum of options permitted by provincial regulations in their analysis of options for the long-term biosolids strategy, and ensure that the analysis takes into account impacts on public health, water resources, agriculture, life-cycle costs, climate change objectives, other environmental considerations and legal liabilities.
The Residuals Treatment Facility will start the production of dry biosolids by mid-2020. With the Province’s approval, the CRD will enter into a beneficial use agreement for five years. Once the treatment plant is operating and the specific composition of our region’s biosolids are known, the CRD will also develop a long-term management strategy and explore beneficial use options, including the potential for innovative and/or on-island options, within the region’s Core Area Liquid Waste Management Plan.
For more information, please visit www.crd.bc.ca/biosolids.
Proud to be recognized as one of BC’s Top Employers and Canada’s Greenest Employers, the CRD delivers regional, sub-regional and local services to 13 municipalities and three electoral areas on southern Vancouver Island and the Gulf Islands. Governed by a 24-member Board of Directors, the CRD works collaboratively with First Nations and all levels of government to enable sustainable growth, foster community well-being, and develop cost-effective infrastructure while continuing to provide core services to residents throughout the region. Visit us online at www.crd.bc.ca.
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For media inquiries, please contact:
Nicki Fellinger, Communications Supervisor
CRD Environmental Services
Tel: 250.360.3287
Cell: 250.818.1489