Whereas the Municipality of Clarington is one of only two communities in Ontario where a local manufacturing facility (St. Marys Cement) has been granted approved under Regulation 79/15 (O.Reg. 79/15) of the Environmental Protection Act to use Alternative Low Carbon Fuel (ALCF) in place of the use of coal and petroleum coke, the location of which is in close proximity to a municipal solid waste thermal treatment facility;
Whereas O.Reg. 79/15 sets out eligible alternative fuel sources that include municipal waste, exempts certain approved ALCF activities from requiring a waste disposal Environmental Compliance Approval, and establishes limited operational parameters for approved facilities but does not stipulate applicable air quality monitoring or emissions control requirements;
Whereas the Ministry of Environment, Conservation and Parks (MECP) recently consulted with the public on proposed changes to O.Reg. 79/15 to make it easier for energy-intensive industries to substitute the use of fossil fuels with ALCFs;
Whereas residents of Clarington brought forward concerns to local Council with regard to the proposed changes to O.Reg 79/15, which were informed by their familiarity with the application of the legislation locally; and
Whereas the MECP’s current review of O.Reg. 79/15 did not propose changes to other components of, or potential gaps in the legislation that were a concern to Council and area residents when consulted during St. Marys Cement’s recent application for the expanded use of ALCFs;
Therefore, be it resolved that the Municipality of Clarington continues to support the objective to reduce the use of fossil fuels and their associated greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions and address climate change;
That the Municipality of Clarington respectfully requests the Provincial Government undertake a full review of O.Reg. 79/15 under the Environmental Protection Act with a view to:
- Providing greater control and monitoring of fuel content and on the emissions from approved facilities to ensure the advancement of GHG reduction is not being achieved at the cost of impacted air quality or community health;
- Ensuring the cumulative effects of proposals on communities is considered as part of a thorough and comprehensive assessment of applications for ALCF use;
- Providing mechanisms and communications to monitor and publicly verify that adverse cumulative effects are not occurring and a fulsome analysis to ensure GHG reductions are being achieved by fuel switching; and
- Improved public awareness of proposed projects and access to project information.
That a copy of this resolution be forwarded to the Honourable David Piccini, Minister of Environment, Conservation and Parks, MPP (Northumberland-Peterborough South) and Lindsey Park, MPP (Durham), and Loyalist Township Council.