Item - 2021.IE22.9

The Infrastructure and Environment Committee recommends that:

1. City Council direct the City Manager, in consultation with the General Manager, Solid Waste Management Services, to advocate for the Government of Ontario to provide greater certainty and clarity regarding the municipal support requirement in section 6.0.1 of the Environmental Assessment Act.

2. City Council request that the Government of Ontario establish a Waste Disposal Working Group that includes the City of Toronto and other large Ontario landfill owners, to support the planning of future residual waste disposal infrastructure and capacity needs for the Province to accommodate population growth.

Recent amendments to Ontario's Environmental Assessment Act have made it a requirement that proponents wishing to proceed with an undertaking to establish a new landfill site must obtain the municipal support from each local municipality with residential uses within a 3.5 kilometre radius of the boundary of any new proposed landfill.

This report provides information on the potential impacts on Ontario's remaining landfill capacity and an overview of the City of Toronto's residual waste disposal planning considerations as a result of the recent amendments. It also recommends advocating for additional clarity regarding the new municipal support requirement and establishment of a Waste Disposal Working Group consisting of large Ontario landfill owners to support the planning of future residual waste disposal infrastructure and capacity needs for the province to accommodate population growth.