The Environmental Assessment (EA) is proposed to be undertaken to address the Town’s future residual waste management needs for a 40-year planning period. The Town will generate an estimated 330,000 tonnes of residual waste requiring disposal during this period.

The EA process is designed to examine potential alternatives to take care of this future demand. In other words, the planning process is designed to examine all alternatives that have the potential to satisfy the purpose of the project. Within the Proposed Terms of Reference (ToR), the Town has identified potential options for the future management of the Town’s residual waste and then undertaken a review and assessment (i.e., screening) of the alternatives.

This included detailed reviews of the ‘New Landfill Site’ alternative and ‘Alternative Technologies’ (i.e., incineration), presented in two supporting documents, which recommended that these alternatives be eliminated and not advanced into the EA for further study. The ToR reviewed and also proposes the elimination of the ‘Export of Waste’ alternative. Therefore, with support from the Ministry of the Environment, Conservation and Parks, via authorization of the proposed limited range of alternatives in the ToR, the two ‘Alternatives To’ that will be carried forward into the EA will include ‘Landfill Optimization’ as the preferred alternative for the long-term management of the Town’s residual waste and the ‘Do-Nothing’ alternative, which will continue to serve as a baseline against which other alternatives can be compared.

The EA will document the systematic evaluation and assessment of ‘Alternative Methods’ of implementing the proposed optimization by considering various site development options for the physical expansion of the landfill within the 26.3-hectare optimization area. At a conceptual level, alternative development methods will include (i) horizontal expansion; (ii) combined horizontal and vertical expansion; and (iii) construction of a separate landfill footprint within the optimization area.

Preparation and Development of the Terms of Reference

The Environmental Assessment Act (EA Act) defines the process necessary to secure additional landfill capacity at the Town’s existing Southampton Landfill Site. Under the EA Act, in order to move the landfill optimization project forward, the project requires the completion of a Comprehensive Environmental Assessment (EA). This two-step planning process ensures the project scope and goals are clearly identified, and alternative options of addressing the problem and/or opportunity are considered.

The first step in the Environmental Assessment (EA) process is the preparation of a Terms of Reference (ToR). The ToR outlines the detailed workplan for how the EA will be prepared and what will be studied. An important part of this first step is the requirement to identify the project scope and to consider a range of alternatives. Once the ToR is approved by the Ministry of the Environment, Conservation and Parks (MECP), the Town can proceed to the second step of the process and carry out the Environmental Assessment.

The ToR has been developed with extensive community engagement and consultation with the Government Review Team and Indigenous communities. Community engagement includes open houses, public meetings, newspaper and social media postings, and the establishment of a project webpage. The steps involved in preparing the ToR are as follows.

Spring 2024: Notice of Commencement of ToR and Public Information Centre (PIC) No.1

The first step of the planning process, the Terms of Reference (ToR), was initiated in April 2024. The Preliminary Draft Proposed ToR and associated supporting documentation was made available for review by the public, the Government Review Team (i.e., agencies and ministries), and Indigenous Communities. In addition, a questionnaire was posted on the project website to help the Town understand public sentiment while reviewing the alternatives during the initial ToR stage of the EA process.

Fall 2024: Notice of Draft Proposed ToR and PIC No.2

Feedback received in association with the first comment period (i.e., Spring 2024) was incorporated into the Draft Proposed Terms of Reference and associated supporting documentation, which was made available for review by the public, the Government Review Team, and Indigenous Communities.

Next Steps: Notice of Submission of Proposed ToR and Government Review

Following the second review period, the reports were updated to address comments received. The Proposed ToR, including all supporting documentation was approved by Council on March 10, 2025. On April 4, 2025, the Town will be submitting the Terms of Reference to the Minister of the Environment, Conservation and Parks. The Town will seek Ministry support via authorization of the proposed limited range of alternatives, to eliminate consideration for a new landfill site, alternative treatment technologies, and/or export of waste from the Environmental Assessment.

The Proposed Terms of Reference and associated supporting documentation (as updated following the second review period) have been made available on the project website for review.

Comment Period: Following the issuance of the Notice of Submission of Proposed ToR, thirty days is given for ToR review by members of the public, the Government Review Team and Indigenous communities. Comments at this step of the process are to be made directly to the Project Officer (MECP- Environmental Approvals Branch).

Ministry Decision

It is anticipated that MECP review of the Proposed ToR may take up to 6 months to complete. The Minister of the Environment, Conservation and Parks may either approve the ToR, approve the ToR with amendments, or reject the ToR. The Town may proceed with carrying out the EA following MECP approval of the ToR.