A planned organic waste processing facility in Dundalk has received another provincial approval as work continues on the project.
The Ministry of the Environment, Conservation and Parks approved amended stormwater works for the Southgate Renewables facility at 160 Eco Parkway on August 28.
The facility is being developed to process organic waste, including material collected through municipal green-bin programs, and convert it into renewable natural gas.
"The proposed works will recycle the source-separated organics from municipal green bin programs and other commercial organic residual materials through the anaerobic digestion process," the Environmental Registry of Ontario says.
Provincial approvals allow the facility to receive up to 700 tonnes of waste per day and as much as 73,000 tonnes per year.
The approved service area includes Ontario as well as New York, Michigan and Ohio.
The organic material would be processed through anaerobic digestion, producing biogas and digestate. The biogas would be upgraded into renewable natural gas for injection into the Enbridge distribution system, while the digestate is expected to be used as fertilizer.
The federal government is providing more than $38 million toward the project through Natural Resources Canada.
"The proponent will construct an anaerobic digestion facility in Dundalk, Ontario, that will recycle approximately 73,000 tonnes of primarily source-separated organics annually from the ‘green bin’ programs of municipalities throughout Ontario," the federal funding record says.
The project has been in development for several years.
A Township of Southgate staff report says the municipality first approved a purchase agreement related to the project in 2017, with provincial environmental approval following in 2019.
"The project has experienced delays with amendments and further ministry and conservation authority approvals causing extensions," the township report said.
The deadline for substantial completion has since been extended to December 31, 2027.
Once operational, the facility is expected to run around the clock, with waste deliveries and shipments of digestate permitted six days a week.
