Mixed Waste Materials Recovery - Feasibility Analysis & Impact Assessment

The Fraser Valley Regional District (FVRD) will study the feasibility of technical and financial options for a new Mixed Waste Materials Recovery Facility (MWMRF). Through this initiative, the FVRD, who provides solid waste management services to 295,000 residents in six member municipalities, will enhance various existing programs and operations to support their goal of 90% waste diversion by 2025. The MWMRF is intended to be employed alongside a region-wide source-separated organics program and continued resident education efforts. Additional benefits may include reduced GHG emissions, improved air quality, renewable energy generation, extended lifespan of facilities (landfills), increased employment and opportunities for community engagement. The FVRD will establish a baseline through the completion of an Operating Environmental Assessment and a Solid Waste Sources Assessment. These tasks will examine operations currently employed throughout the region as well as current and projected waste volumes. Public and private stakeholder identification and consultation will be a part of this phase. The baseline generated will be used to inform a Technology Solution Assessment, conducted in parallel with assessing potential MWMRF sites. A list of technical options and possible site locations will be produced and analyzed using a multi-criteria framework resulting in a preferred option or short list. Potential technical solutions that will be investigated include: - Waste-to-energy by way of anaerobic digestion; and - Material Recovery Biological Treatment where following the initial screening for recoverable recyclable materials, the organic fraction is aerobically stabilized creating an inert mass of residuals that produces little to no landfill gas when buried. Financial models will be developed and used to examine various ownership and procurement options and the associated financial implications to existing stakeholders. A fully FVRD-owned and operated facility and a facility with varying levels of private sector involvement will be considered. A quantitative risk assessment will be conducted taking into account stakeholders’ considerations, capital and operating life-cycle costing, and environmental and market conditions. Finally, a business case will be completed to adhere to requirements of the FVRD and other potential funders and stakeholders. The design and construction of a MWMRF is directly linked to the provincially approved FVRD Solid Waste Municipal Plan (2016) which outlines a ten-year shared vision for the region including targets, milestones and guiding principles to meet them. This initiative is also integrated with the FVRD Solid Waste Composition Study and the FVRD Regional System Assessment Report (2014). A collaborative project management structure will be led by the FVRD Board which will act as the Project Steering Committee to coordinate approvals and feedback from the municipalities. This project is expected to provide knowledge value by demonstrating a broad methodology for the development of other regional-scale centralized waste facilities with diverse existing collection practices and stakeholders. (Project description from original funding application)