Regional Organics Compost Project
Construction began in November 2021 on a much-needed regional facility that will enable curbside organics collection for over 30,000 single-family homes in Campbell River, Comox, Cumberland and Courtenay. The household organic material will be repurposed into finished compost for agricultural and landscaping uses, diverting approximately 30 per cent of collected waste from our regional landfill. Read the press release here.
The compost facility, located in Campbell River, is scheduled for completion in September 2022 and will accept co-mingled food and yard waste as part of municipal curbside collection programs. Community updates around the timing of this rollout will be made available later in 2022.
The $15.5 million project is funded through $6.4 million in grants and $9.1 million from CSWM reserves. Operations will be funded through tipping fees. Cost savings can be realized by removing organics from the waste stream which will prolong the life of our regional landfill.
Check this page for more information as this project progresses or visit our online engagement page to ask a question or provide a comment.
To read more about the facility design and how it addresses input we've received from the community, plese click the image below.
The CSWM is committed to designing a state-of-the-art facility that minimizes impacts to our neighbours and the environment. We plan to not only meet stringent environmental and community standards, but also exceed these standards wherever reasonable.
All composting activities will be completed indoors, minimizing noise and odour. There will be no impacts to groundwater and surrounding habitat.
The 19 hectare site is zoned for heavy industrial use with specific zoning for composting. In October 2019, the Agricultural Land Commission approved approximately 6 hectares of the site for non-farm use, to be used for the compost facility.
The enclosed processing building and supporting infrastructure will total approximately 47,000 square feet, or just over 2.5 NHL sized ice rinks. This building will be centrally located on a cleared area at the rear of the property, leaving a forested buffer around the site.
Regulatory Requirements
This project requires two approvals from the BC Ministry of Environment and Climate Change Strategy: a targeted amendment to CSWM’s Solid Waste Management Plan to construct the regional organics facility and an Operating Permit for the regional organics facility under the Organic Matter Recycling Regulation.
The Ministry administers and regulates air quality issues, including odour issues, under the authority of the Environmental Management Act. The Organic Matter Recycling Regulation governs production, quality and land application of certain types of organic matter.
Development and building permits will be required from the City of Campbell River and the Village of Cumberland. The facility will comply with Public Nuisance bylaws, which includes prevention of nuisance odours.
Status of Approvals
- Solid Waste Management Plan Targeted Amendment - COMPLETE
- City of Campbell River Development Permit Approval (Compost Facility) - COMPLETE
- Village of Cumberland Development Permit Approval (Transfer Station) - COMPLETE
- Organic Matter Recycling Regulation Operating Permit - IN PROGRESS
Design Considerations
Important design considerations for areas of importance identified by the community are listed in the drop down menus below.
An organic transfer station will be constructed at the Comox Valley Waste Management Centre (regional landfill) located in Cumberland. When the Campbell River landfill reaches capacity in late 2021/early 2022, waste will be transferred to the regional landfill in Cumberland. These trailers will take organics from Courtenay, Comox and Cumberland to the regional compost facility in Campbell River on their return trip, maximizing trucking efficiencies. Approximately one to two truck trailers will be transferred to Campbell River per day.
At a composting facility, best practice involves clear separation of areas where leachate is generated within the compost buildings and areas on the property where stormwater is collected and drained. Stormwater includes all water that drains from structures, covered areas, walkways, roads and the site courtyard areas.
Unprocessed materials will be stored inside and composting will be undertaken exclusively inside buildings on concrete surfaces. Moisture content is carefully controlled as part of the process and water that comes into contact with organic waste at the facility (leachate) will be collected in sealed tanks and reused as part of the composting process. Leachate will not be discharged to the environment during the composting process.
Stormwater will be collected in a lined holding pond where it will be aerated and sediment will be removed. The resulting treated stormwater will be discharged into an unlined pond and re-infiltrated into the ground. Water use onsite will be managed carefully and will not have an impact on groundwater quality or supply.
The facility is a highly regulated site by the British Columba Ministry of Environment and Climate Change Strategy (the Ministry). The CSWM service has an extensive annual water monitoring program in place to adhere to the testing protocols laid out by the Ministry to provide an understanding of the groundwater quality. Additional monitoring wells are planned as part of the project. Testing is done quarterly and reported to the Ministry. Groundwater monitoring reports are available at www.cswm.ca/campbellriver.
The successful management of odour is a critical component in the design and operation of this facility. The receiving and processing of organic waste will take place daily within a fully enclosed building. Air will be captured through an HVAC system and then treated using biofilter technology, preventing odours from leaving the building.
The finished compost will be stored under a covered area and will look and smell like rich, dark earth.
The BC Ministry of Environment and Climate Change Strategy (the Ministry) administers and regulates air quality issues, including odour issues, under the authority of the Environmental Management Act (the Act). The Organic Matter Recycling Regulation under the Act governs production, quality and land application of certain types of organic matter. These two regulations govern odour management related to processing organics waste in BC as administered by the Ministry.
The facility will be located on a cleared area of land. A wooded area will be kept around the perimeter of the facility to protect natural habitat as a well as mitigate visual impacts.
While some trees will need to be cleared on the site to ensuring safe slopes of the landfill gravel extraction area, careful site planning and layout will retain the maximum amount of forest possible for habitat and buffer. Site development and tree cutting will occur during an appropriate nesting window.
All delivery of compost feedstock and active composting will occur indoors to prevent birds and wildlife from being attracted. Fencing will prevent larger wildlife from accessing the site.
A pest control plan will be an important part of the facility operations. The daily processing of organic material indoors minimizes odours and helps control rodents and pests. Once the material is placed into an active compost pile, temperatures will reach between 50-60 degrees Celsius for several days, an undesirable and inhospitable environment for rodents and pests. Furthermore, the material is moved frequently thereby reducing opportunities for animals to establish a refuge. The entire perimeter of the property will be fenced, preventing larger wildlife from entering the site.
Traffic impacts will be minimal, as organic waste collection will integrate with the existing waste collection system. The main access to the site would be from Highway 28, which will not affect most neighbouring properties on Argonaut Road.
The current design creates the greatest buffer area possible between the facility and neighbours, protecting sightlines and minimizing light and noise. Exterior lighting will be a lower colour temperature to minimize impact. Lighting will be optimized for operational requirements and to avoid impacts to neighbours.
Greenhouse gas emission reduction will be achieved by:
- Removing organic material from the waste stream to reduce the production and release of methane gas in the landfill.
- Recycling organic matter into soil restores carbon and eliminates the need for chemical fertilizers.
The use of back-up alarms will be minimized to reduce noise during operating hours, and equipment with lower noise ratings will be used. Sound attenuating enclosures will also be considered.
Regional Organics Compost Project – Budget Amendment and Update (September 1, 2021)
Regional Organics Compost Project – April 2021 Update (April 16, 2021)
Regional Organics Compost Project – December 2020 Update (November 23, 2020)
Regional Organics Compost Project – September 2020 Update (September 4, 2020)
Regional Organics Compost Project – March 2020 Update (March 12, 2020)
Regional Organics Compost Project – February 2020 Update (February 13, 2020)
Regional Organics Compost Project – November 2019 Update (November 14, 2019)
Regional Organics Compost Project – September 2019 Update (September 6, 2019)
Regional Organics Compost Project – Procurement Recommendations (September 5, 2019)
Regional Organics Compost Project – April 2019 Update (April 4, 2019)
Regional Organics Compost Project – Anaerobic Digestion (April 4, 2019)
Regional Organics Compost Project – March 2019 Update (February 28, 2019)
Regional Organics Compost Project – Additional Siting Analysis (February 28, 2019)
Regional Organics Compost Project – Review and Siting (January 31, 2019)