Biggars Lane Landfill Expansion

The Biggars Lane Landfill, located at 128 Biggars Lane in Mount Pleasant, Ontario was reaching its capacity limit and was therefore at the end of its life. As a result, the County of Brant began an Individual Environmental Assessment (IEA) process, and other consultants prepared a scoped Terms of Reference (Phase 1) and laid out the Alternative Methods of Expansion (Phase 2). Burnside was retained to complete Phase 3 of the IEA, which included the field work and assessment of the Alternative Methods, consultation, and submission of the final Environmental Assessment Report.

As part of Phase 3, we undertook a number of field and desktop studies to assess the Preferred Alternative Method for the landfill’s expansion. These studies included air, noise, and vibration, economics, hydrogeology, land use planning, leachate treatment and disposal, terrestrial and aquatic ecology, surface water, and landfill operations.

With this information in hand, we sought input from review agencies (including the Ministry of the Environment, Conservation, and Parks), Indigenous communities and the public to select a Preferred Alternative. The EA Report included a comparative evaluation which preferred Alternative Method 2, consisting of a 14.3 hectare waste footprint with a landfill liner, leachate collection system, landfill gas management system, and stormwater management facilities west of the existing (historical) landfill footprint.

The existing waste footprint, which is currently in operation, will be completed and closed in accordance with the site’s current ECA requirements. We documented the entire process and submitted the EA Report to the Ministry for approval, which was granted and allowed the project to proceed.