Written By Heather Horning, Adelaide Metcalfe Resident
Currently, there’s a good news / bad news situation in the Municipality of Adelaide Metcalfe.
The bad news is that the Ontario Land Tribunal (OLT), in its decision released on August 19, 2024, has ruled in favour of the proposed site plan for a sewage biosolids storage and distribution facility at 25700 Kerwood Road.
The good news is that the Municipality of Adelaide Metcalfe has filed a Request for Review of this decision with the OLT. So, at this time, the case is still in the hands of the Ontario Land Tribunal.
While we are awaiting the outcome of the township’s request, the proposed site plan is with the Ontario Ministry of Environment, Conservation and Parks for the required Environmental Compliance Approval (ECA). The ECA was open for comments from the public until November 8th, 2024.
The features of the proposed site plan in the OLT decision indicates two concrete bunkers each 46 metres by 247 metres having a combined maximum storage of up to 110,000 metres cubed. The retaining wall is less than 1 metre high (2 feet high) with the ability to store sewage biosolids to a maximum height of 7 metres. These piles are to be covered with tarp and tires.
It’s hard to imagine what that might look like. A recent article in Ontario Farmer indicated that “if vertical silos were used instead of two bunkers”, this volume of sewage biosolids “would require 550 silos”.
Is this design practical for a storage and distribution facility that will load and/or unload truckloads of sewage biosolids almost daily for most of the year? Is it practical for the anticipated volume of sewage biosolids to be stored there?
It’s important to note that this facility, if approved, would set a precedent as it would be the first of its kind in Ontario. The final design may set the standard for other storage and distribution facilities for sewage biosolids.
Many people in our area are extremely concerned with this proposed site plan. The proposed volume of 110,000 metres cubed covered only by tarp and tires and disturbed on a daily basis hardly seems sufficient to mitigate the many concerns that have been raised by local residents including environmental impact and odour control as well as the known risk of spontaneous combustion.
It’s important to note that the natural runoff from this property is into the Sydenham River which provides habitat for over 25 species at risk – some of which exist nowhere else in Canada. Should we not be making every effort to protect this fragile environment?
Concerns with odour are well known in Middlesex County. The odour generated by even small piles of sewage biosolids travels a great distance from the storage site. This odour is known to impact human health causing: nausea, vomiting, respiratory issues and headaches. This is from shorter term exposure. What would be the impact for long term exposure from a permanent sewage biosolids facility?
Due to these concerns, we have recently started a petition, for the Province of Ontario, calling for a moratorium on the approval and construction of storage and distribution facilities for sewage biosolids until such time as a proper design can be developed to mitigate the many known issues with the storage of sewage biosolids.
For more information on this petition and sewage biosolids, email
Citizens Concerned About Biosolids at ccab.ontario@gmail.com
and Follow our Facebook page Stop Spreading Sewage.
