Item - 2016.PW11.4

The Public Works and Infrastructure Committee recommends that:

1.  City Council receive the "Executive Summary of the Highland Creek Wastewater Treatment Plant Biosolids Schedule B Class Environmental Assessment Study" appended to the report (February 9, 2016) from the General Manager, Toronto Water as Attachment 1.

2.  City Council endorse the recommendations of the Environmental Assessment Study appended to the report (February 9, 2016) and request the General Manager, Toronto Water to finalize the Environmental Study Report for the Highland Creek Wastewater Treatment Plant Biosolids Class EA and submit it to the Ontario Ministry of the Environment and Climate Change for the obligatory 30 day public review period in accordance with the requirements of the Environmental Assessment Act.

3.  Subject to the completion of the Class EA process for the Highland Creek Wastewater Treatment Plant Biosolids Class Study, City Council authorize the General Manager, Toronto Water to proceed to undertake the detailed design and construction of the preferred option.

This report seeks Council approval of the recommendations contained in the Highland Creek Treatment Plant (HCTP) Schedule B Class Environmental Assessment (EA) on the future long-term biosolids management strategy for the facility.  

The study is a detailed assessment of health, environmental, community and cost impacts of three short listed biosolids management options and recommends the replacement of the existing 40-year old incinerators at the HCTP with current state of the art incinerators and emissions scrubbing technology.  The study concludes that:

- all three alternatives have very small overall health impacts and there are no appreciable health impact differences between each of the alternatives;

- all three alternatives achieve notable reductions in health risks related to inhalation and multi-media exposure (due to air emissions) compared to the existing situation;

- all three alternatives achieve significant reductions in air emissions (based on air quality modelling of 43 chemicals of concern) with modern state of the art incineration being the lowest emitter of Green House Gas (GHG);

- new state of the art incinerators has the lowest noise, odour and traffic impact on the community and has the greatest public support within the community (Wards 43 & 44) surrounding the facility; and

- new state of the art incinerators has the lowest capital and operating costs – and therefore lowest life-cycle cost of the three options. 

The Request for Proposals (RFP) for this study was developed with the input of Toronto Public Health (TPH) and the Toronto Energy and Environment Division (EED).   TPH wrote the terms of reference and led the development of the Health Impact Assessments for the alternatives under study.  The EED wrote the requirements for Cumulative Impact Assessment regarding air emissions incorporating the City's in-house developed air model.

The Board of Health forwards its decision to the Public Works and Infrastructure Committee to coincide with the Committee's consideration of the report from the General Manager, Toronto Water on the Highland Creek Treatment Plant Schedule B Class Environmental Assessment.

The Board of Health also recommended that:

1.  City Council direct that when the new biosolids facility is built at the Highland Creek Treatment Plant that:

a.  All risk management measures that were assumed during the Health Impact Assessment and listed in Attachment 7 to the report (October 7, 2015) from the Medical Officer of Health are implemented; and

b.  Route 4, as described in Attachment 1 (October 7, 2015) from the Medical Officer of Health, is implemented as the preferred truck transport route.