City of Toronto Averts Sludge Crisis

Date: August 1, 2006

Source: City of Toronto

The city of Toronto averted a crisis with an eleventh hour solution to dispose of the city's 75,000 annual tons of sludge. With just one day before its contract with Republic Services expired, the city inked deals with two Canadian composting firms. In one of the deals, worth C$13.5 million over three years, Burlington-based Environmental Management Solutions Inc. will handle 55,000 tons of the city's sludge for the first year and 35,000 tons each year thereafter. Quebec-based Ferti-Val Inc. will receive C$1.1 million to take 20,000 tons of city sludge for one year. EMS plans to take most of the sludge to a landfill in upstate New York.

Problems began in June when Republic, in response to complaints about odors from the Wayne County Landfill, said it would no longer accept any sludge there. Despite the deals, it is expected that Toronto city attorneys will sue Republic for breach of contract. Republic officials deny that there was ever a binding contract in that regard.

For more information visit: www.toronto.ca.

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