Edmonton Composting Facility (ECF) has shut down due to a rotten roof.
In 2017, structural issues were identified at the building and the City of Edmonton Waste Services implemented mitigation and risk management activities to continue the use of the facility in a safe manner. Operations at the ECF have since been conditional, based on regular assessments of the safety of the facility.
However, in spring of this year, an additional investigation of the facility indicated that conditions in the facility have deteriorated, and concluded that it is no longer safe to continue to operate the facility.
“The safety of all employees and everyone on-site at the Edmonton Waste Management Centre is the number one priority, so, given this conclusion, Waste Services will begin the process of shutting down and decommissioning the facility,” said Michael Labrecque, branch manager, Waste Services in a press release.
Proposed Anaerobic Digestion Facility (ADF)
In the near term, organics processing capacity will be partially directed to the Anaerobic Digestion Facility, which is undergoing commissioning processes that will continue into the third quarter of this year. Without access to the ECF, the City’s overall organics processing capacity will be reduced immediately.
Edmonton Waste Services is planning an additional Organics Processing Facility aimed at providing a long-term substitute for the ECF. The need to replace the ECF is factored into forthcoming reports on the 2020 – 2023 Business Plan and 25 Year Waste Strategy Update being presented to City Council in late June.
The ADF will enable the City to:
- Process up to 48,000 tonnes of organic waste per year and divert it from landfill
- Create renewable energy in the form of electricity and heat
- Produce high-quality compost for use in agriculture and horticulture
- Reduce greenhouse gas emissions
- Remove odours created during the process by using bio-filters
Photo courtesy of City of Edmonton Waste Services.
