Mayor Mark Sutcliffe,
City of Ottawa,
110 Laurier Avenue W.
Ottawa, ON, K1P 1J1
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Re: Trail Waste Facility Stage 5 Landfill Gas Recovery
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Dear Mayor Sutcliffe,
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We understand that the City is currently in the process of constructing and preparing to open,
likely later this year, the final Stage 5 cell at the Trail Waste Facility (TWF). Given the City’s
declaration of a climate emergency, the City’s Climate Change Master Plan and the contribution
that landfill methane gas makes to the City’s greenhouse gas footprint, how will the landfill gas
in the new Stage 5 be managed?
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Current provincial regulatory requirements for the TWF require the operation of a landfill gas
recovery system to mitigate gas migration at the property boundary and to alleviate offsite
odour impacts. The collection system also serves to reduce greenhouse gas emissions
associated with methane generation.
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Landfill gas generated in the closed Stages, 1, 2, and 3, and from the soon to be completed
Stage 4 is used to produce electricity through a contract with Power Trail Inc. which sells the
approximately 6 megawatts of electricity generated into the grid. It is understood that this is
enough to power approximately 6,000 Ottawa homes.
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Will the gas from Stage 5 be pumped to the existing power generation facility for the
production of additional electricity? Is there sufficient capacity at the existing facility to accept
more gas and can any additional power generated be sold into the grid?
We urge the City in its planning for Stage 5 to use the collected gas to increase power
generation from the TWF. From a GHG perspective, using the gas to produce more electricity is
preferable to flaring which is a major source of CO2 emissions, methane and black soot, all
damaging to health and the environment.
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Sincerely,
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Duncan Bury, Waste Watch Ottawa
On behalf of POP Ottawa
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