The Municipality of West Nipissing takes its environmental responsibility very seriously and is duly committed to proper monitoring and reporting.
For years, the Sturgeon Falls landfill has handled only the non-hazardous portion of the soil from various sources including decommissioned industrial sites and gas stations. All instances require West Nipissing Environmental Services to follow stringent provincial policies and procedures. Accepted soils at the Sturgeon Falls landfill contain levels of substances that are below the thresholds defined by Ontario Regulations.
Regulation and Classification
Most landfills in Ontario handle non-hazardous contaminated soil. Under the Ontario Environmental Protection Act (EPA), contaminated soil must be tested and assessed to determine its contamination levels. If the contamination exceeds specific limits, the soil will not be accepted for landfill disposal. The Ontario Ministry of the Environment, Conservation and Parks sets these standards.
Soil that exceeds certain contamination thresholds will be classified as hazardous waste under Ontario Regulation 347. Hazardous waste requires specific handling, storage, and disposal procedures. Landfill sites in West Nipissing are not permitted to, nor engaged in treating hazardous waste.
Land Area and Layers of Safety
The Sturgeon Falls landfill takes up 4 acres of land. An attenuation zone of 16 acres surrounds the landfill, where regular monitoring takes place to detect and mitigate any potential environmental risks. A buffer zone of approximately 550 acres of municipal land provides an added margin of safety. Additionally, the area’s topography causes ground and surface water to flow naturally in a southern direction, away from the Sturgeon River.
Monitoring
West Nipissing Environmental Services in partnership with a specialized engineering firm (AtkinsRéalis) performs ground water monitoring every six months. The current groundwater monitoring program consists of 33 monitoring wells at 16 individual or nested locations all within the site boundary. All monitoring wells at the site are maintained in compliance with Ontario Regulation 903, under the Ontario Water Resources Act.
The current surface water monitoring program consists of 10 locations comprised of six on-site stations and four off-site stations. Samples are collected from each station on a semi-annual basis (spring and fall) per the LB Surface Water Monitoring Plan. In addition, surface water samples are also collected semi-annually from three stormwater ponds.
Reporting
Reports are shared with the Ministry, as per the Environmental Protection Act. The Ministry of the Environment also inspects local sites to ensure compliance. In the event of potential leach or non-compliance, remedial steps would be taken as per Ministry guidelines. Any non-compliance or contamination would also be reported to the West Nipissing Environmental Services Board.
Resources
https://www.ontario.ca/laws/regulation/190406
https://www.ontario.ca/laws/regulation/r00558
https://www.ontario.ca/laws/regulation/900347
https://www.ontario.ca/page/handling-excess-soil
https://www.ontario.ca/page/rules-soil-management-and-excess-soil-quality-standards
Environmental Services Board
The Environmental Services Board met on January 13, 2025. The meeting agenda included the topic of Non-Hazardous Contaminated Soil.
The Environmental Services Board is comprised of dedicated community members who care about these issues. The Municipality continues to report such details to the Environmental Services Board during planned meetings occurring every other month. Once approved at the board level, meeting minutes are shared and adopted at regular meetings of the municipal Council.