RIC (EOR) Inc. operating as Northwood Transfer Station - Environmental Compliance Approval (sewage)

The information below summarizes the public's comments and how we considered and addressed them as part of our decision:

1. Concerns regarding the location, zoning, wastewater discharges to the sanitary sewer, future development/planning, traffic (volume, safety, noise and air impacts) on municipal roads and municipal road conditions.
   
   Response: Location, zoning, future development/planning, wastewater discharges to the sanitary sewer, traffic (volume, safety, noise and air impacts) on municipal roads, and municipal road conditions are under municipal jurisdiction which are out-of-scope of the Environmental Compliance Approval review process.

2. Concerns regarding the waste disposal site (including waste service area, waste receipt and processing limits, hours of operation, outdoor waste storage, litter control, pest management, bird and wildlife impacts on Oshawa Executive Airport, environmental assessment for pyrolysis, and design and operation report contents such as technology, equipment, on-site traffic, and financial assurance) and the need for a public relations/education strategy and liaison committee to help inform the public on the purpose, function and environmental impacts of the proposed development.
   
   Response: These concerns are related to the waste Environmental Compliance Approval application and are out of scope of the sewage works Environmental Compliance Approval review process.

3. Concerns regarding air (including compliance with the air quality regulations and standards, the emission summary and dispersion modelling report, monitoring for air contaminants and odour, and possible air impacts, including dust and odours, from the proposed waste disposal site and waste haulage routes), noise (including possible noise impacts, truck traffic count projections in the Acoustic Assessment Report compared to those in the Traffic Impact Study, noise results reporting) and drivers of vehicles following site operation protocols.
   
   Response: These concerns are related to the waste and air/noise Environmental Compliance Approval applications and are out of scope of the sewage works Environmental Compliance Approval review process.

4. Concerns regarding an effective way for residents to submit complaints to the site.
   
   Response: The conditions of the Environmental Compliance Approval require the owner to develop a procedure for receiving, responding and recording public complaints, including any follow-up actions taken. Furthermore, the waste and air/noise Environmental Compliance Approvals also contain conditions requiring the owner to have an effective complaint management program with a sign at the entrance of the site which includes contact information for submitting complaints.

5. Request to require Evergreen to demonstrate that the proposed anaerobic digestion facility operation will not adversely impact the existing residences and other land uses in the area.
   
   Response: With respect to the sewage works Environmental Compliance Approval application, the conditions of the Environmental Compliance Approval require the owner to provide secondary spill containment, water balance, Enhanced level water quality protection and to attenuate post-development peak flows to pre-development levels for all storm events up to and including the 100-year return storm by including requirements for construction, operation and maintenance of the approved stormwater management works, secondary spill containment, a spill contingency plan, a monitoring program, effluent criteria and reporting.
   
   All these are in place to ensure the facility operates in a manner that protects health of the public and the environment.
   
   Adverse impacts related to air, noise and waste are related to the waste and air/noise Environmental Compliance Approval applications and are out of scope of the sewage works Environmental Compliance Approval review process.

6. Request to have studies in support of this application professionally peer reviewed.
   
   Response: The ministry’s professional engineering staff review the applications for Environmental Compliance Approvals. Third party peer reviews are not a part of the ministry's Environmental Compliance Approval review process.

7. Request to make efforts to coordinate the Environmental Compliance Approval process with the planning approval process.
   
   Response: The ministry obtained confirmation of the local municipality's site plan approval and the local conservation authority's approved permit prior to making a decision on this application. Where possible, ministry staff coordinate with other approvals required for the proposal.

8. Request to require the applicant to obtain a decision from Central Lake Conservation Authority for the proposed sewage works prior to the ministry issuing a decision regarding the application.
   
   Response: A copy of the Central Lake Conservation Authority's permit was obtained prior to the issuance of this Environmental Compliance Approval.
    
9. Concerns with using the stormwater pond as a back up containment facility for any spills.
   
   Response: The conditions of the Environmental Compliance Approval require the owner to provide the majority of the secondary spill containment volume within the lined tank farm. Should the tank farm's secondary spill containment volume be reached, a portion of the spill will be redirected to the lined stormwater management pond which has been designed to contain the sum of the 100-year storm event volume and the necessary remaining secondary spill containment volume. In addition to this, the outlet to the stormwater management pond is equipped with an automated valve that automatically closes when a large spill occurs within the tank farm to prevent any spills during extreme weather events from leaving the site.
    
10. Recommendation to require Evergreen to engage with local post-secondary institutions (including, but not limited to, Durham College, Trent University Durham GTA and Ontario Tech University) with respect to the development of this Site.
    
    Response: This recommendation is out of scope of the sewage works Environmental Compliance Approval review process.
     
11. Recommendation for the Region of Durham and Central Lake Conservation Authority to be consulted during the ministry's review of the applications.
    
    Response: All in-scope comments received through the Environmental Registry of Ontario's public consultation period have been considered in the ministry's Environmental Compliance Approval review process.
     
12. Request for the applicant to submit a new stormwater management report to demonstrate that the proposed development is in compliance with the requirements outlined in the approved Northwood Business Park Master Stormwater Management Plan, prepared by Greck and Associates Limited in August 2016.
    
    Response: The original stormwater management report was revised to demonstrate that the proposed development is in compliance with the requirements outlined in the approved Northwood Business Park Master Stormwater Management Plan, prepared by Greck and Associates Limited in August 2016.
     
13. Reporting and site records should be kept for longer than the proposed two years.
    
    Response: The conditions of the Environmental Compliance Approval require the owner to maintain records for a minimum of five years.
     
14. Concerns regarding the lack of detail on the proposed low impact development methods.
    
    Response: Details on the design, location and catchment areas for the proposed low impact development methods were provided during the sewage works Environmental Compliance Approval review process.
     
15. Concerns regarding the need for an environmental impact study to be completed to the satisfaction of the City of Oshawa and Central Lake Conservation Authority.
    
    Response: A contamination management plan was provided to support the Central Lake Ontario Conservation Authority's approved permit no. O21-133-GBH for this site and the City of Oshawa's site plan approval.
     
16. Concerns regarding terrestrial ecology (specifically, additional plantings, woodland buffer areas, species at risk screening and light pollution), aquatic ecology (specifically, erosion control for the off-site outfall, in-water construction timing, project proposal to the Department of Fisheries and Oceans Canada for review), and the need for a geotechnical slope stability assessment, water balance study, Vulnerable Area Screening Application and a hydrogeological study.
    
    Response: The concern regarding the need for a water balance study was addressed in the revised stormwater management plan. A study on the groundwater elevations was required to support the design of the proposed low impact development methods; however, a detailed hydrogeological study was not required as the remainder of the application is for the discharge of stormwater to surface water. The remaining concerns are under municipal and conservation authority jurisdiction and are out-of-scope of the Environmental Compliance Approval review process.
     
17. Recommendation to include the maintenance access for the proposed stormwater pond within the site's grading and site servicing plan.
    
    Response: The stormwater management plan, including the grading and servicing plan, was revised to indicate the maintenance access point for the proposed stormwater management pond.
     
18. Concerns regarding stormwater management pond retrofit grading beyond the property line.
    
    Response: This grading concern was addressed within the revised grading plan.
     
19. Concerns regarding the need for a maintenance manual for the proposed stormwater management works including the need for frequent inspections.
    
    Response: The conditions of the Environmental Compliance Approval require the owner to develop an operation and maintenance manual for the approved sewage works and to inspect and maintain the works at least once per year.