CORNER BROOK — The Western Regional Waste Management Committee is now recommending waste be taken to central Newfoundland without the commitment from goverment of a transportation subsidy.
According to a press released issued Thursday afternoon, the decision was reached at a June 28 meeting of the committee.
More than a year ago, the committee decided a separate waste management facility was not required in the western region, and that waste from western would be transported to the regional facility at Norris Arm. At the time, the recommendation was contingent upon the province providing a transportation solution to help minimize waste management costs to residents.
"While the committee still wants government to consider that option, they are no longer holding this as a condition," the release states. "This decision reflects analysis completed that shows the Norris Arm option is the least-cost option for the western region."
The committee will now focus on regional initiatives for waste management, and has informed government they needed to move forward with a waste management plan considering waste diversion infrastructure within the region.
"One example considered is to reduce the wet waste stream by local composting operations rather than transporting organic waste to a composting facility at Norris Arm," according to the press release. "The committee felt the wet waste stream could be significantly reduced by focusing on more local initiatives that could entail encouraging more household composting.
"They also felt efforts should be made to explore more community and sub-regional composting. The particular technology used could be determined with consultants' help and government financial assistance would be sought to secure the technology."
In dealing with recyclable dry waste, the committee recommends encouraging private enterprise to assist with developing ways to remove material from the waste stream , recycle it, and sell it. This option is deemed more efficient than trucking it to central.
However, an alternate method — if the business case supports it — could be to install technology locally to remove recyclable, recycle, and sell material at strategic locations in the western region. This option would require government capital financial assistance.
"While the committee acknowledges that waste destined for final disposal at a landfill should definitely go to the lined landfill at Norris Arm, if there are lower costs options for local waste diversion, these should be implemented."
