Item - 2010.HL32.2

Toronto Public Health (TPH) oversaw the Health Impact Assessment (HIA) component of the Mixed Waste Processing Study conducted by Golder Associates on behalf of Solid Waste Management Services (SWMS). This study was initiated to evaluate the options for managing Toronto’s mixed waste in order to help achieve the City’s Target 70 waste diversion objectives.  Potential impacts from various approaches to dealing with City of Toronto residential mixed waste were assessed using HIA screening and scoping approaches.  This report presents the findings of the HIA and the recommendations the Medical Officer of Health (MOH) has made for future action by SWMS.

The HIA was conducted in two phases. The first phase assessed various technology options and informed SWMS’s decision to move forward with Mechanical Biological Treatment with Anaerobic Digestion (MBT with AD) as the preferred technology for a residential mixed waste processing facility.  The only city-owned site that has sufficient area to accommodate the full processing and final curing operations is next to Green Lane Landfill in the Township of Southwold (near London, Ontario).

Once the preferred site and technology were identified, TPH held an HIA workshop with stakeholders from the community neighbouring the selected site. The participants at the workshop identified both negative and positive potential impacts from the proposed facility. Potential mitigation efforts were also discussed. 

The Medical Officer of Health has communicated his recommendations on ways to address stakeholder concerns during the design and operation of the proposed facility to the General Manager, SWMS. SWMS has indicated that they will implement these recommendations. The MOH will continue to work with SWMS and the Residual Waste Working Group to ensure health issues are considered during the next phases. The HIA process helped influence the selection of a mixed waste treatment technology option such that the one with the least environmental and health impact was chosen.