Sludge Watch ==> Officials: Sludge Energy Plant Boost for Hamilton

[Maureen Reilly]

Sludgewatch Admin:

Right now Hamilton sludge - which is often illegally high in heavy metals, 
is land applied on farmland that is two hours drive away.  It is applied in 
communities just east of Walkerton..where so many people died from drinking 
fecally contaminated drinking water.

Sludge disinfection from viruses, bacteria, antibiotic resistance, drugs, 
hormones
End to long distance trucking...and their emissions
No risk to the food chain from sludge
exemplary air emissions controls - controls with 90% better results than old 
incinerators
only 1% or less of mercury emissions compared to land application
green renewable energy from renewable source - that replaces dirty coal
heavy metals sequestered in ash - safe disposal

The government should be closing and sunsetting dirty coal plants and 
fostering renewable energy sources....wind, solar, biomass. 
Environmentalists need to look at the fact that sewage sludge from Hamilton 
is now placing 100% of the pathogen, dioxin, mercury, heavy metal 
contamination into rural communities.  Review the footprint for this 
technology ...and make a comparison.

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http://www.hamiltonmountainnews.com/hmn/news/news_748834.html



Energy plant downtown would provide boost for city: officials
Kevin Werner, Mountain

(Mar 23, 2007)
The controversial energy plant for downtown Hamilton will provide an 
economic boost for the city, while producing safe, sustainable energy for 
the community, say officials.

Wilson Nolan, chief executive officer for Liberty Energy, told a small 
gathering of Hamilton business officials last week at the Hamilton Chamber 
of Commerce the $93.8 million plant will generate 10 megawatts of 
electricity and eventually create 60 jobs in a brownfield area at 675 
Strathearne Avenue.

Mr. Nolan said when he was looking at Hamilton to locate his energy-from 
waste plant, he was shown greenfield properties. He rejected the locations 
in favour of a brownfield area that would be close to the harbour, within 
easy transportation distance to use the city's own sludge material to power 
the facility.

Councillors have already approved the California-based company's request to 
rezone the property from industrial to a holding provision that would allow 
the operation of a private utility.

Before the holding provision can be lifted, Liberty Energy has to seek three 
different Environment Ministry environmental assessments on the facility's 
air, location and waste management.

The facility is expected to produce less than 10 megawatts of power, but it 
will use about 100 tonnes per day of biosolids, most of it from the city's 
own wastewater facility. The city now trucks its biomass to agricultural 
areas to be spread on farmers' fields. Liberty Energy would charge the city 
a tipping fee to truck its sludge to the energy-from-waste facility.

Liberty Energy officials have argued the facility will eliminate about 
75,000 tonnes of carbon dioxide per year.

Area councillors, including Brian McHattie and Sam Merulla have opposed the 
facility because of the fear the facility will become another SWARU (Solid 
Waste Reduction Unit).

"SWARU was at the time state-of-the-art technology, and it became the 
largest polluter in the country," said Mr. Merulla. "History is on my side."

But Dundas councillor Russ Powers last week praised Liberty Energy, calling 
the technology "progressive" and "proven" while creating "green sustainable 
energy."

"It will have a minimal impact on the downtown air shed," he said.

Gordon Reusing, a principle at Connestoga Rovers and Associates, argued last 
week the sludge-burning facility, which will be encased, will only release a 
"very, very small" amount of material to "what is already there.

Air monitoring has shown, he said, the facility will have a "very small 
contribution" to the air quality to the Parkdale, Hamilton Beach and Beach 
Road areas.

"The net impact will be virtually zero," he said. "This will be 
state-of-the-art emissions."

Mr. Nolan said Liberty Energy has taken the lead to reduce the area's air 
quality, such as curtailing the area's road dust problem. There are heavy 
industrial sites in the area that have a substantial road dust issue, he 
said.

The air quality in the Strathearn area is one of the highest recorded in 
urban Ontario, he said.

Liberty Energy, said Mr. Nolan, will have a paved entrance that will reduce 
dust track out.

"We have taken a leading role in reducing road dust," he said.

Mr. Merulla said the emissions from the facility will mitigate any 
improvements in road dust the company will make.

"We should spread the wealth of industrial facilities in the area," he said. 
"Ward 4 has too high of a concentration (of industries). This is about 
image, about the environment, and it will be on the waterfront. This should 
have been a greenfield development."

Burke Austin, president of the environmental group Community Action for 
Parkdale East, though, praised Liberty Energy for being a "good corporate 
citizen" and providing solutions to the area's major environmental problems.

Last year the group withdrew its request that the Environment Ministry 
conduct a full environmental assessment on the location.

Liberty Energy, which is owned by McCarthy Farms of Bakersfield California, 
is proposing to construct about 19 energy-from-waste facilities in Ontario, 
said Mr. Nolan.

He expects if all approvals are granted by the province, construction could 
begin on the facility in February, 2008.

Mr. Nolan has also discussed with Hamilton Port Authority officials about 
shipping sludge materials by barge through the Hamilton Harbour as an 
alternative transportation option to having trucks bring the material to the 
plant.

"This may be the way to go to get trucks off the roads," said Mr. Nolan.