Skip to content

Waste not, want not

County committee to consider changes to the Official Plan on Tuesday to accommodate new ERRC facility
horseshoe valley site
This is the site of a new organics processing plant planned for Horseshoe Valley Road.

County landfills are filling up so fast, it's costing the county $1.65 million a year to transfer some of its waste to Hamilton, and the cost is only going up.

The county is hoping to change that by adding an Environmental Resource Recovery Centre (ERRC) at 2976 Horseshoe Valley Road in Springwater, and they plan to take the next steps toward that goal on Tuesday.

A County Official Plan amendment regarding the ERRC will be on the table Tuesday morning for county council committee of the whole to consider.

The ERRC is a proposed organics and recycling facility which the county is calling a “closed-loop, circular-economy solution,” where organics will be broken down and converted into compost, fertilizer or fuel for use in the county.

Last week when the issue was before Springwater Township council, that council decided to send a letter to the county to request a public open house be held to update interested residents on the facility. The letter also requests that detailed responses be provided to concerns raised by residents throughout the process.

Opponents to the ERRC, such as the Friends of the Simcoe Forests, have listed dangers to the environment, fire hazards, odour, traffic and costs as issues worth considering before going forward with the project.

For an in-depth story on the ERRC plans as well as county council’s response and the future of the project, visit our website Tuesday afternoon.


Reader Feedback

Jessica Owen

About the Author: Jessica Owen

Jessica Owen is an experienced journalist working for Village Media since 2018, primarily covering Collingwood and education.
Read more