Less than 7 years life expectancy for current landfill site

The life expectancy for the Sault Ste. Marie city landfill site, located at 402 Fifth Line East, is now 6.8 years, according to the most recent estimate by city staff.

Each of us routinely take our household waste and recycling to the curb every week, but some of us, in the busy nature of our day-to-day lives, have not thought about what the city plans to do once the landfill reaches the end of its life.

So, what is the plan?

Catherine Taddo, land development and environmental engineer with the city's engineering and planning department, said expansion to the north and west of the current landfill site, within existing city-owned lands, remains the city's preferred option, as opposed to purchase of new land.

"We went into expansion options revealing various alternatives, and the preferred alternative was moderate vertical expansion and north and west expansion of the existing disposal footprint," said Taddo in a recent conversation with SooToday.

The decision to expand was made after public consultation, working closely with AECOM Canada consultants and the Ministry of the Environment and Climate Change.

Studies and consultations, including open houses, have been held since 2000.

While the cost of expansion is not known, city officials have stated tipping fees at the landfill site would have to be raised from the current $70 per tonne to approximately $74 to $88 per tonne to pay for the cost of expansion.

An expanded site could last until 2050.

The lifespan of the landfill has been extended considerably over the years, thanks to the encouragement of recycling in the community.

"The residential (household waste) diversion rate increased from nine percent in 1999 to 35 percent in recent years, so that's quite good," Taddo said.

"We're always encouraging recycling…any more recycling that can be done we certainly encourage."

One measure which has extended the landfill's lifespan has been the introduction of the two-bag limit for residences, with additional bags collected only if wrapped with tags available for purchase at various sites throughout the city.

The existing landfill, once its usefulness is over, will be covered with a final cover (a soil covering), Taddo said.

(PHOTO: Recycling efforts over the years have extended the lifespan of Sault Ste. Marie's landfill site)