Sewage sludge standoff

The Spec's Meredith MacLeod reports:

'Hamilton will need to build its own $65-million sludge incinerator after rejecting a partnership proposal from a private company.

The decision at yesterday's public works committee meeting raises the possibility of two incinerators burning sewage sludge in Hamilton, because that company, Liberty Energy, vows to continue with its plan to build a plant on Strathearne Avenue and truck in sludge from other municipalities.

"This will happen whether Hamilton is a partner or not," said Liberty controller Peter Bloom.

"The question is whether you want one incinerator or two in Hamilton. (The Liberty partnership) is much healthier than us importing biosolids while you burn down the street."

The city needs to do something to deal with its sewage sludge because legislation is coming that will prohibit spreading it on farm fields.

The prospect of two incinerators being built in the city's northeast didn't sit well with residents.

James Howlett, president of the Hamilton Beach Community Council, urged public works committee members to go with Liberty.

He said the company exceeds environmental standards and has a proven track record, and that the proposed plant "will clean up part of an industrial ghetto" and create private-sector jobs.

A neighbourhood group opposes the city's proposed sludge incinerator at its Woodward Avenue waste water treatment plant.

"The only thing worse in this town than having one burner would be having two," Howlett said.'

What do you think? Should the city keep working at the private-sector partnership with Liberty, or go on its own and build a city-owned incinerator to burn sludge?

Comments

[Tom Robertson]

Jim...I am now confused in your previous comment and by the opening statement of this blog you appear to be in favour of the liberty proposal but your latest comment seems you are against it. Some questions still remain about the Liberty proposal. Why have they not been able to secure contracts with 2 other municipalities they say they need to proceed with the project? If we don't want to be the Regional Biosolid Centre of Ontario why not let them build their plant in another municipality and sign a contract to ship our waste there? I would still like to hear the details of your trip to the Liberty facility in Minneapolis or was that intentionally omitted?

[Ray Fullerton]

I have studied the staff report Business Review - Liberty Proposed Incinerator (PW07047c) - (City Wide) and attended the Public Works Committee meeting on April 19, 2010 and listened to the presentations of Liberty Energy and the independent peer review consultant Black and Veatch.

Based on the above information, please ask yourself the following questions:

1. Do you want the City of Hamilton to be known as a Regional Biosolids Centre for the province Ontario as proposed by the Liberty Energy proposal?

2.Do you want an additional 20,000 trucks annually entering the City of Hamilton due to transporting biosolids to the Liberty Energy incinerator located at 675 Strathearne Avenue from other regions of Ontario?

3. Do you want a LARGE CAPACITY incinerator to be built at 675 Strathearne Avenue by Liberty Energy? (Note: the proposed Liberty Energy incinerator is SEVEN times larger than the incinerator proposed by the city at the Woodward WWTP location).

4, Do you want the City of Hamilton to assume the large financial risk associated with a Liberty Energy partnership (Liberty Energy has no firm contracts with other regions of Ontario) as outlined in staff report Business Review - Liberty Proposed Incinerator (PW07047c) - (City Wide) and by the presentation of the independent peer review consultant Black and Veatch?

If you answer NO to any of the above questions then you should inform your councillor to accept the recommendation of the staff report Business Review - Liberty Proposed Incinerator (PW07047c) - (City Wide) which states: " (a)That the City receive the findings of the independent peer review undertaken by Black and Veatch of the Biosolids Thermal Reduction - Unsolicited Proposal from Liberty Energy Inc. dated November 2009;
(b) That the item "Biosolids Management Plan" be identified as completed and removed from the Public Works Committee Outstanding Business List. "

I am a citizen who recently retired from ArcelorMittal Dofasco who is familiar with the industrial area of Hamilton and who is concerned for the FUTURE IMAGE, ECONOMICS, AND ENVIRONMENT of the City of Hamilton!

[Tom Robertson]

Jim...If Strathearne is already the dirtiest street in the city how will the daily truckloads of sewage improve it? What type of Liberty facility did you visit in Minneapolis? I could not find any evidence they have one there. Did you go on your own dime or did Liberty pick up the tab?

[Michelle Hruschka]

There are no easy answers. The head of Libery Energy was part of a company the put toxic sludge on farm fields.

I asked someone who is involved in environmental issues what they though and well again there are no easy answers.

The toxic sludge that was put on farm fields was disgusting and I feel that the public relations industry that sold this concept as being good is unforgiveable.

Can we not as people get honest answers and solutions, why does everything have to be done behind closed doors and secrets abound.

Can the peole of this city meet face to face with this CEO and have the opportunity to ask real questions. I am concerned about the impact on the environment.

I mean as a society we have to ask ourselves about an public realtions industry that would go on a propaganda agenda that would actually change the term toxic sludge to bio solids and then try and sell that as something good when in fact it was something bad.

Wtih all the technology and brains abound out there, is there not one person that can give an honest answer.

[jim Howlett]

I did not at all say that Liberty had a proven track record- I said the technology was proven... I also said that we need to move to Neighborhood and home composting of sewage in the future , and that Liberty's plant would be a stepping stone to that end because it would end the practice of dumping it on our farm fields sooner than the city's plant...dumping sewage sludge on local farm fields is in conflict with the Buy local produce initiative....as to the ghetto on Strathhearn ave - I suggest you go drive it North of Burlington st..the film industry already uses it for a ghetto film site..it is Hamiltons dirtiest street..as to getting my facts straight -I flew to minneapolis with people from Environment Hamilton and mcmaster univ. and Liberty , to look at a plant there just so I could get my "facts straight" please dont judge me by a mistaken news article. ps. I already have a composting toilet.

[Markalanwhittle]

No matter which way you cut it, Liberty Energy survives to fight another day.
All those Lobbyists they hired, according to CATCH, must be doing something right for their clients.
From my reading of the transcript, Harnum tried to put the "knife" in, now he's leaving town.
Like Mitchell says, building Liberty Energy first in a public/private partnership captures the best value for taxpayers.
Just my free advice, as I'm not a Lobbyist for Liberty Energy, just a local taxpayer, footing the bill either way.

[Tom Robertson]

Mr. Howlett should check his facts on Liberty's proven track record. According to Liberty's own website they have never built a sludge incinerator and only have made 2 proposals to build them.

[Peter Michael]

JoanneB, exactly what I was going to say but that's what yearly property tax increases are for, no?

City infrastructure as well as police and fire support which we'll probably have to pay user fees for soon if we follow Burlington's lead...

[Dave]

well you could filter it to point that there is nothing left to filter, but then you end up with many different end wastes and have to spend more time managing the many wastes verse the one waste(sludge) burning it is not as hazardous as many think, stand next to stelco and smell thier pickle lines and you'll know what bad smells like. The European's have been using their waste as a fuel to generate electricity and this country should be doing the same! burying it does nothing burning it atleast generates electricity!

waste not want not!

The other upside is generating much needed jobs and allowing the municipality to take in waste for cash from other regions to subsidise the running costs.

If done correctly there should be nothing but a win win situation for the area and it's residents.

2 pennies in the jar...

[JoanneB]

For a city that is always so cash-strapped, where do they think they are going to have $65M materialize from?

[CityNeedsNewLeaders]

How about not building ANY sludge burning plants?

Are there no other technologies available to get rid of this stuff?

Must we continue on with 1950's style facilities in our city?

How will putting a sludge-burning facility on Strathearne "clean up part of an industrial ghetto" ???

[john]

I think the City should partner with Liberty Energy. That way it won't become a boondogal. Whenever Goverment run things we alway get cost over runs and it comes out of taxpayers pockets. And also when Goverment run an industry they always hire two many people . End result, no profit and maybe even losses. And the poor Taxpayer pays again because there is no money for upgrades when needed from time to time. If the City wants some control the best that it should ask for is a partnership. That way the place will still run at a profit and not cost the Taxpayer anymore.