Ridge Landfill EA

Waste Connections of Canada has completed the environmental assessment for the proposed expansion of the Ridge Landfill. The proposed expansion required the completion of an Individual EA under the Ontario Environmental Assessment Act’s​ mandatory two-step process that included a Terms of Reference (approved by the Ministry of Environment Conservation and Parks on May 1, 2018) and the second step, conducting the EA, which was approved on October 29th, 2020.

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A letter from the Minister of the Environment, Conservation and Parks (MECP) as well as the Notice of Approval for the Environmental Assessment can be found in the “Final EA” tab below.

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The Final EA Report and Supporting Documents, as well as consultation material, can be found in the “Final EA” tab below. Other project documentation is included under the “Draft EA” and “Archives” tabs.

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In addition to the required EA approval Waste Connections needed MECP approval to amend its existing Environmental Compliance Approvals (ECAs). These are the operating permits that describe how the facility is run and MECP’s detailed expectations and requirements related to the ongoing operation of the site. There are three separate ECAs which govern activities at the landfill prescribed under Section 27 of the Environmental Protection Act (waste), Section 9 of the Environmental Protection Act (air and noise), and Section 53 of Ontario Water Resources Act (OWRA) (stormwater management). Documentation supporting these amendments can be found in the “Final ECA” tab.

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Commitments

A condition of approval for the EA is that Waste Connections provide an annual Ridge Landfill Environmental Assessment Compliance Monitoring Report. ​

An effective monitoring program ensures that the Ridge Landfill will operate as expected, that mitigation measures are effective, and that unforeseen problems are identified and addressed. Monitoring programs provide assurance to the surrounding community that the facility is safe and potential environmental impacts are minimized. The compliance monitoring program will monitor the implementation of the Ridge Landfill Expansion to ensure it is implemented in accordance with the EA and in particular with respect to mitigation measures, public, consultation, and additional studies.