Toronto rules out Adams Mine

Additional truckloads of Toronto's garbage are being sent to Michigan and there are no plans to reintroduce the Adams Mine option in Kirkland Lake, two Toronto officials said Wednesday.

We have no plans in place to provide (for) the reintroduction of the Adams Mine landfill proposal, Lawson Oates, manager of strategic planning with the solid waste management division for the City of Toronto, said in a telephone interview.

Oates said because the Adams Mine deal didnt proceed, Toronto has a deal with Republic Services to ship some 285,000 tonnes of municipal waste in each of the next two years to Michigan to allow the Keele Valley Landfill to stay open until the end of 2002. And then, in 2003, Toronto has guaranteed at least 100,000 tonnes per year for the remaining three years of the five-year deal. After the first five years, the city has an option to renew the deal.

Betty Disero, chairwoman of Torontos works committee, supported the Adams Mine option. But now, she doesnt believe the city will be revisiting the Kirkland Lake proposal anytime soon.

Whether were satisfied or not, weve got a contract thats signed with Republic to send our garbage to Michigan, Disero said. I dont believe that can be changed. I dont believe theres any way we can back out of the contract at the moment.

Disero admitted she supported the Adams Mine proposal. But that was after Toronto put a stipulation sticking Notre Development Corporation for any unforeseen costs which could arise through new government regulations.

It was that stipulation Notre couldnt accept and that was what ultimately sunk the deal.

There was a real problem with having that removed from the contract, Disero said. I would have felt more comfortable with going up to Kirkland Lake than sending $50 million a year to Michigan, thats for sure. I dont think we should be sending our money to the States, generally speaking, but whats done is done.

And it is done, says Oates.

We have no plans on the staff side to introduce any new request for proposal process for new landfill disposal, Oates said.

Toronto is also in the fourth year of a five-year deal with the Arbor Hills Landfill in suburban Detroit, sending some 450,000 tonnes of trash a year to that site. And Oates said the city has the ability to manage its future trash load.

We have the ability to manage it because we can increase the tonnage going to Republics Carleton Farms landfill, Oates said.