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The impact study for the Champlain landfill expansion project was deemed admissible by the Quebec Ministry of the Environment, even though the proponent did not produce a study on the “recovery” of the million cubic meters of biogas that will be produced each year. However, the government says it is counting on the use of this resource in order to reduce greenhouse gas emissions from the energy sector.
The municipality’s “engineered landfill” (LET), which belongs to the Mauricie Residual Materials Management Board (Énercycle) and which is managed by Matrec, can currently receive up to 150,000 tonnes of waste each year.
To meet “growing needs” and receive materials from several regions, the project promoters are however requesting authorization to bury up to 250,000 tonnes of waste each year, for the next 20 years. This is a 66% increase over the current annual capacity. The site in question, which is located south of Highway 40, east of Trois-Rivières, could thus receive more than 5 million tonnes of waste over the next two decades.
Burned biogas
Before being approved, the project must soon be examined by the Bureau d’audiences publiques sur l’environnement (BAPE). The promoters also had numerous exchanges of questions and answers with experts from the Ministry of the Environment, the Fight against Climate Change, Wildlife and Parks (MELCCFP), who wrote “opinions” on various issues. of the project detailed in the impact study.
The experts thus argued that “the LET only recovers a tiny part of its biogas, i.e. 650,000 m3/year (6.5%) on a potential of more than 10,000,000 m3 from the first year of operation” of the expansion project. According to the scenario included in the impact study, biogas (which essentially contains methane and CO2) produced by the site will be mostly burned using a flare.
“In the context of the fight against climate change, the recovery of biogas as a replacement for fossil fuels is a mitigation measure with a significant impact on the balance sheet of greenhouse gas emissions”, however reminded the experts of the ministry. .
The Legault government also wants this so-called “renewable” natural gas resource to be used more in the coming years, in particular to supply the network operated by Énergir. Quebec sees it as a “solution for the future” to reduce the consumption of fossil fuels and contribute to the achievement of the province’s climate objectives.
However, the promoter did not identify “no viable opportunity” and did not carry out “any study of the potential for energy recovery from biogas” as part of its impact study, underlined the government experts. “Does the initiator undertake to quickly file such a feasibility and profitability study, and this, before the issuance of a potential government authorization? asked the MELCCFP in one of its opinions.
In response, Énercycle and Matrec indicated that “the Champlain LET will be the subject of a feasibility and profitability study in order to explore possible avenues in terms of energy recovery from biogas”. This “will be carried out in the near future, but at the time deemed appropriate by the initiator – this cannot however be before the issuance of government authorizations”. It is thus argued that the expansion of the site “is a priority and urgent project”, in order to avoid a stoppage of services.
“Admissible” study
In its last opinion on the promoter’s impact study, the MELCCFP finally ruled that the impact study was “admissible”, while acknowledging that the study on the potential for biogas development will take place “after issuance of government permits” for the expansion project.
The promoter has undertaken, at the request of the MELCCFP, “to submit, before the start of the public information period, the details of the calculations of the greenhouse gas reductions of the various biogas recovery hypotheses envisaged”, adds the department by email.
The Director General of the Quebec Common Front for Ecological Waste Management, Karel Ménard, invites the government to clarify its position on the recovery of biogas from landfill sites. He recalls that Quebec has set itself the objective of reducing the quantity of organic matter sent to landfills. “We cannot ask to reduce the landfill of these materials while wishing to recover the biogas from landfill sites,” he says.
According to Recyc-Québec’s most recent report, Quebec generated 4.7 million tonnes of organic matter in 2021, which includes materials that can be composted or used to produce biomethane. The “overall” rate of recycling of these materials reached 56%, which means that just over two million tonnes were “eliminated”. About 66% of municipalities in Quebec currently offer a collection service or even home or community composting.