An east Hamilton citizens group is asking the province to order a full environment assessment of its plan to build a sludge incinerator at the Woodward Avenue sewage treatment plant.

Community Action Parkdale East notes the city asked the province to require the same thing of Liberty Energy, which plans a $170-million Strathearne Avenue power plant fuelled by sewage sludge and wood waste.

The city has conducted a Schedule C class environmental assessment with a public comment period that ended Tuesday of last week.

Burke Austin, representing Community Action Parkdale East (CAPE), wrote Environment Minister John Gerretsen, asking him to order the study be bumped up to a more thorough assessment. A similar request was filed by Toronto environmental activist Maureen Reilly.

There is little chance their requests will be granted. The city’s previous request was turned down, and observers say the province has rarely, if ever, issued a bump-up order.

Both CAPE and Reilly support Liberty’s plan, but oppose the smaller city incinerator, which would be located nearer to homes and Woodward School. They want the city to pay Liberty to burn its sludge. The city has retained a consultant to compare that option to building its own sludge burner.

Austin’s letter said CAPE has concerns about air emissions, and notes a city consultant said he wouldn’t recommend a vegetable garden at the nearby school 500 metres from the proposed plant. But there are many homes much closer, the nearest less than 200 metres away.

“Two incinerator facilities are not needed in the east end of Hamilton,” she wrote.
Reilly pointed out the province required

Liberty to do a major study of health effects of its emissions added to existing pollution. “The City of Hamilton should provide all the same data and perform all the same requirements of its own projects that it demands of private facilities.”

Jim Harnum, senior director of environment and sustainable infrastructure, said the city assessed 103 air emission parameters, compared with Liberty’s 61, and studied health impacts more closely in the surrounding neighbourhoods. He said it also looked at the possibility of both facilities being built.

“While we would both have similar substances emitted, Liberty’s facility would be about eight times bigger. We look at ours on top of theirs and found absolutely no impact to the community.”