The Town of Saugeen Shores will need a Waste Management Plan to ensure our community's future waste disposal needs will be met. It is projected that the approved capacity at the Southampton Landfill Site will be exhausted in the next 6 to 8 years, or sometime during the period between 2030 and 2032.

The Town of Saugeen Shores is beginning an Environmental Assessment (EA) under the Environmental Assessment Act (EAA) to address the problem of diminishing capacity at the Town’s existing Southampton Landfill Site. It is proposed that the EA be undertaken to address the Town’s future waste management needs for a 40-year planning period.

Based on a 40-year planning period beginning in 2030, it is estimated that there will be a need to accommodate approximately one-million cubic meters (m3) of landfill capacity. The Environmental Assessment planning process is designed to examine potential alternatives to take care of this future demand. The alternatives identified for this Waste Management Project include the following:

• Alternative 1: Do Nothing (Serves as a baseline against which the other alternatives can be compared)
• Alternative 2: Optimization of Landfill Capacity at the Town’s Existing Southampton Landfill Site
• Alternative 3: Establish a New Landfill Site within the Town of Saugeen Shores
• Alternative 4: Alternative Waste Management Technologies
• Alternative 5: Third Party - Export of Waste

A preliminary screening of various alternatives has been completed as part of an overall screening process to support the EA. Background studies were initiated in 2021 to confirm the feasibility of the existing landfill site to accommodate additional waste capacity. Based on the findings, landfill optimization has been confirmed to be a viable waste management strategy. In addition, a detailed screening assessment of the ‘Alternative to Establish a New Landfill Site within the Town’ and a review of the ‘Applicability of Alternative Waste Management Technologies’ have been completed. The screening of these alternatives will help determine if a refined range of alternatives may be carried from the Terms of Reference Stage into the Environmental Assessment Stage (referred to as a ‘Focussed Environmental Assessment’).

A survey was available April 23 - May 24, 2024 to help the Town understand public sentiment while reviewing the alternatives during the Terms of Reference Stage of the EA process (i.e., Stage 1). These responses help provide insight into what alternatives the community is willing to support.

The project team is in the process of analyzing the survey results, which will be included in a report brought to a public meeting in August or September 2024 (date to be determined).

Members of the public, agencies, Indigenous Communities, and other interested persons are encouraged to actively participate in the planning process by attending consultation opportunities, reviewing the project documentation, sharing information, and providing comments related to the project.

In-person public open houses are planned throughout the planning process and will be listed below.

• The first public open house took place May 9 2024 at the Southampton Town Hall.
• A public meeting during a Town of Saugeen Shores Council Meeting is being planned for August or September 2024. The meeting will be listed below when the date is available.

Public involvement is a key component of this project planning. You are encouraged to participate by reviewing the information provided on this project page and submitting the comment form below. Comments will be received anytime during the project process.

• A public meeting will be held during a Town of Saugeen Shores Council Meeting in August or September 2024 (date to be determined). A report will be brought forward for Council approval.
• Pending Council approval, the Terms of Reference will be submitted to the Ministry of Environment, Conservations and Parks (MECP).
• Once the Terms of Reference is approved by the MECP, the Town can proceed with carrying out the Environmental Assessment.