New compost operation pitched for east Hamilton plant once known for stinky odours
A liquid-fertilizer maker wants to resurrect a composting plant in the former Hamilton Bio Conversion building once infamous for stinking up the east city.
SUSGlobal Energy Corp. issued a release June 2 touting the planned $4.5-million purchase of a 40,000-square-foot building on Nash Road North - and highlighted pre-existing government approvals to run 24-7 and process 65,000 tonnes of organics annually.
The company says it plans to produce, distribute and warehouse" liquid fertilizer at the plant as early as next year.
The announcement raises red flags" for Environment Hamilton head Lynda Lukasik - particularly if the proposed new operation relies on 20-year-old environmental permits that once governed a facility known for spreading warm barf" odours as far as Sam Manson Park.
Maybe they have great (new) technology, maybe not," said Lukasik. But I hope they can't just glide right in there and start operating using permits that are a decade old or more."
The Ministry of Environment, Conservation and Parks confirmed 520 Nash Rd. N. has waste disposal approvals dating back to the early 2000s for processing organic food waste and making fertilizer pellets out of sewage sludge. It also has a pre-existing approval for an odour control system.
But spokesperson Gary Wheeler said any significant changes to equipment" would require a permit amendment and trigger a public commenting opportunity.
It's not yet clear what kind of technology will be used in the plant, or where organics would come from. The Spectator has reached out to the company but has not heard back.
In the June 2 release, SUSGlobal president Marc Hazout celebrated the high-value environmental compliance approval" linked to the property and highlighted proximity to farm buyers of its revolutionary pathogen-free" fertilizer. The company already has a compost operation in Belleville, Ont.
The company estimates the facility could produce $2-million worth of fertilizer a day. The allowable processing amount is triple the 20,000 tonnes of food waste composted yearly at the city's own municipal plant.
An investor presentation on the company website suggests new processes (will) address old concerns" about odour. But Lukasik said residents deserve more information than that - and a chance to weigh in sooner rather than later.
Wheeler said any non-administrative" changes to existing approval permits must be posted to the Environmental Registry of Ontario for public comment. The company also must notify the city and neighbours.
If large-scale composting is returning to the site, ward councillor Chad Collins said he expects an advance opportunity for appropriate public consultation." The city planning department also has the right to comment on any changes to the plant's ministry-approved operating parameters.
The councillor said the building was a historical source of pollution concerns, but not recently.
Residents raised a stink about odours from the original plant run by Hamilton Bio Conversion Inc. until the early 2000s. Council and residents later opposed a plan to process sewage sludge in the building, which ultimately did not go ahead.
Collins said the risk of rogue odours is not uncommon for compost plants - including the city's own facility. We've seen all sorts of examples of companies bragging about the latest technologies to control emissions. But we've also seen that sometimes, it doesn't work."
Matthew Van Dongen is a Hamilton-based reporter covering transportation for The Spectator. Reach him via email: mvandongen@thespec.com