Ridgeline Farms Inc. - Environmental Compliance Approval (waste)

This proposal is for an Environmental Compliance Approval for a waste disposal site (processing) for receipt and pre-processing of organic off-farm wastes and processing (anaerobic digestion) of the off-farm wastes with agricultural source materials for production of soil supplements, animal bedding materials, and biogas.

The approval is being sought to expand the existing facility regulated under the Nutrient Management Act consisting of:

• one solids storage bunker and feeder,
• three off-farm waste receiving/pre-storage tanks (holding capacity of 160 cubic metres for two, and 30 cubic metres for one),
• one pasteurization tank (holding capacity 1,500 cubic metres),
• two regulated mix anaerobic digesters (holding capacity of 5,000 cubic metres and 1,500 cubic metres),
• two CHP generation units,
• biogas conditioning equipment, and
• one waste gas flare

The digesters and the associated equipment and structures have been built in compliance with all applicable regulatory requirements at the time of construction.

The total area of the proposed waste disposal site is 1.31 hectares located in Centre Hastings. The site will receive a maximum of 200 cubic metres of liquid waste per day or 200 tonnes of non-hazardous solid waste per day with an annual maximum of 25,000 cubic metres of liquid waste or tonnes non-hazardous solid waste. This is an increase of the annual amount of off-farm waste from 15,000 to 25,000 cubic metres/tonnes.

This off-farm waste will then be mixed with the agricultural source materials in the existing mixed anaerobic digesters. Generated biogas will be upgraded into renewable natural gas prior to its injection into a natural gas pipeline as well as burned in the two CHP generation units. The total amount of off-farm waste stored at the site is not to exceed 200 cubic metres or 200 tonnes at any one time.

Receiving hours of operation are 7 a.m. to 7 p.m., 6 days a week, and the processing will occur 24 hours a day, 7 days per week. The waste disposal site serves the Province of Ontario.