Update Announcement
This proposal notice has been updated on February 28, 2024 to advise the public that this file/application is still under active review. The ministry is reviewing the comments it has received to date. The original proposal date and comment period have not been altered.
This consultation was open from:
November 8, 2022
to December 23, 2022
Decision summary
We approved the proposal to amend Environmental Compliance Approval (waste disposal site) No. 4259-7X7K3U for the use and operation of an existing waste disposal site (anaerobic digestion facility) located at 1200 Mersea Road 1 in the Municipality of Leamington, County of Essex, Ontario.
Location details
Site address
1200 Mersea Road 1
Leamington,
ON
N8H 3V7
Canada
Site location map
The location pin reflects the approximate area where environmental activity is taking place.
View this location on a map opens link in a new windowProponent(s)
Seacliff Energy Corp.
1200 Mersea Road 1
Leamington,
ON
N8H 3V7
Canada
Decision details
The approved amended Environmental Compliance Approval (waste disposal site) No. 4259-7X7K3U is for the use and operation of an existing waste disposal site (anaerobic digestion facility) located at 1200 Mersea Road 1 in the Municipality of Leamington, County of Essex, Ontario.
The existing 24.12-hectare anaerobic digestion (AD) facility has been receiving and processing a maximum of 110,000 tonnes of off-farm Organic Waste per year to produce Biogas and digestate. The amendment approves production of renewable natural gas at an approximate maximum rate of 860 cubic metres per hour of renewable natural gas for injection into the natural gas distribution infrastructure from Biogas and the total digestate at a maximum rate of 129,660 tonnes per year at 4.9% total solids or liquid digestate at a maximum rate of 127,970 tonnes per year at 4.6% total solids.
The AD facility consists of the following processes and support units:
- receipt and temporary storage of Organic Waste;
- pre-treatment to remove non-biodegradable constituents of the Organic Waste and make the Organic Waste Slurry;
- transfer of the Organic Waste Slurry to an off-site anaerobic digestion facility or to Hydrolysis Tanks #1, #2 and #3;
- hydrolysis/pasteurization of the Organic Waste in hydrolysis tanks #1, #2 and #3;
- anaerobic digestion of pre-treated and mixed Organic Waste in Digesters #1, #2 and #3;
- production of fertilizers and/or soil nutrients through separation of the solid and liquid components of the effluent from Digesters #1, #2 and #3;
- de-sulphurization of the Biogas produced by the Anaerobic Digestion of Organic Waste;
- cooling of the Biogas and generation of heat and electricity from combustion of Biogas in the combined heat and power engine producing electricity output of 1.6 megawatts; or
- managing and upgrading Biogas into Renewable Natural Gas in Biogas Upgrading System, comprising the following processes, working areas and equipment:
- hydrogen sulphide and volatile organic compounds/siloxane reduction systems;
- compression, chilling and moisture removal, and carbon dioxide, oxygen gas and nitrogen gas removal using membrane separation system or pressure swing adsorption system;
- compression of Renewable Natural Gas to pipeline pressure requirements;
- flare, operating as a stand-by combustion equipment for untreated or treated Biogas or the Renewable Natural Gas;
To be used for processing of the following types of waste generated in the Province of Ontario and the States of Michigan and Ohio:
Organic Waste, limited to solid or liquid waste derived from plants or animals, from residential and industrial, commercial and institutional sources, listed in Condition 3.1 of this Approval, all readily biodegradable in anaerobic digestion.
This amendment has a new Ministry Reference Number #9184-CYPSJD.
This proposal has been originally submitted in the application that had Ministry Reference Number 1000191694. Since the proposal has been approved as an Amended ECA No. No 4259-7X7K3U dated October 24, 2024, the application with the Ministry Reference Number 1000191694 will be canceled.
Supporting materials
View materials in person
Some supporting materials may not be available online. If this is the case, you can request to view the materials in person.
Get in touch with the office listed below to find out if materials are available.
135 St. Clair Avenue West
Floor 1
Toronto,
ON
M4V 1P5
Canada
How to Appeal
This instrument decision can be appealed. You have 15 days from October 29, 2024 to begin the appeal process.
Carefully review the information below to learn more about the appeal process.
How to appealClick to Expand Accordion
Start the process to appeal
If you’re an Ontario resident, you can start the process to appeal this instrument decision.
First, you’ll need to seek leave (i.e. get permission) from the relevant appellate body to appeal the decision.
If the appellate body grants leave, the appeal itself will follow.
Seek leave to appeal
To seek leave to appeal, you need to do these three things:
- prepare your application
- provide notice to the minister
- mail your application to three parties
1. Prepare your application
You’ll need to prepare an application. You may wish to include the following things in your application:
- A document that includes:
- your name, phone number, fax number (if any), and/or email address
- the ERO number and ministry reference number (located on this page)
- a statement about whether you are a resident in Ontario
- your interest in the decision, and any facts you want taken into account in deciding whether you have an interest in the decision
- the parts of the instrument that you’re challenging
- whether the decision could result in significant harm to the environment
- the reason(s) why you believe that no reasonable person – having regard to the relevant law and to any government policies developed to guide decisions of that kind – could have made the decision
- the grounds (facts) you’ll be using to appeal
- the outcome you’d like to see
- A copy of the instrument (approval, permit, order) that you you are seeking leave to appeal. You’ll find this in the decision notice on the Environmental Registry
- Copies of all supporting documents, facts and evidence that you’ll be using to appeal
What is considered
The appeal body will consider the following two questions in deciding whether to grant you leave to appeal:
- is there is good reason to believe that no reasonable person, with respect to the relevant law and to any government policies developed to guide decisions of that kind, could have made the decision?
- could the decision you wish to appeal result in significant harm to the environment?
2. Provide your notice
You’ll need to provide notice to the Minister of the Environment, Conservation and Parks that you’re seeking leave to appeal.
In your notice, please include a brief description of the:
- decision that you wish to appeal
- grounds for granting leave to appeal
You can provide notice by email at minister.mecp@ontario.ca or by mail at:
College Park 5th Floor, 777 Bay St.
Toronto, ON
M7A 2J3
3. Mail your application
You’ll need to mail your application that you prepared in step #1 to each of these three parties:
- appellate body
- issuing authority (the ministry official who issued the instrument)
- proponent (the company or individual to whom the instrument was issued)
Seacliff Energy Corp.
1200 Mersea Road 1
Leamington,
ON
N8H 3V7
Canada
Registrar, Ontario Land Tribunal
655 Bay Street, Suite 1500
Toronto, Ontario
M5G 1E5
(416) 212-6349
(866) 448-2248
OLT.Registrar@ontario.ca
Include the following:
This is not legal advice. Please refer to the Environmental Bill of Rights for exact legal requirements. Consult a lawyer if you need help with the appeal process.
Connect with us
Contact
Client Services and Permissions Branch
135 St Clair Ave West
1st Floor
Toronto,
ON
M4V 1P5
Canada
Original proposal
Proposal details
This proposal is for an amendment to the existing Seacliff Energy Corp. (SEC Environmental Compliance Approval (waste disposal site) No. 4259-7X7K3U issued for the use and operation of a waste disposal site, with a total area of 3.5 hectares, located at 1200 Mersea Road 1 in the Municipality of Leamington, County of Essex, Ontario.
The site, through its anaerobic digestion process, recycles up to 110,000 tonnes of source separated organics (SSOs), industrial, commercial, and institutional (ICI), and liquid residuals. The by-products of its anaerobic digestion process are:
- renewable electricity and heat
- organic fertilizer
This proposal is to add a biomethane system to the operations for upgrading the biogas produced (up to 1710 cubic metres per hour) to renewable natural gas (up to 860 cubic metres per hour) for injection into the Enbridge natural gas network. The biomethane system will be contained within a 650 square metres concrete pad situated beside SEC's existing stormwater management pond.
The complete biogas upgrading process in the biomethane system will be enclosed and sealed within vessels and inside piping and tanks. Tail gas comprising carbon dioxide and other trace elements contaminant gases will be destroyed through a regenerative thermal oxidizer (RTO).
There will be no change to the amount and type of SSOs, ICIs, and Liquid residuals that SEC is permitted to process. Also, the operational process to convert them into biogas will remain the same.
SEC currently only serves the Province of Ontario but is also authorized to serve the States of Michigan and Ohio. Facility receiving hours are 6:00 a.m. to 11:00 p.m. from Monday to Saturday.
Supporting materials
View materials in person
Some supporting materials may not be available online. If this is the case, you can request to view the materials in person.
Get in touch with the office listed below to find out if materials are available.
135 St. Clair Avenue West
Floor 1
Toronto,
ON
M4V 1P5
Canada
Comment
Commenting is now closed.
This consultation was open from November 8, 2022
to December 23, 2022
Connect with us
Contact
Client Services and Permissions Branch
135 St Clair Ave West
1st Floor
Toronto,
ON
M4V 1P5
Canada
Comments received
Through the registry
0By email
0By mail
0