Author: Councillor Brad Clark

The following is an MECP update that was received by the City of Hamilton September 11, 2023.

The ministry continues to ensure GFL is taking all available and feasible steps to mitigate the odour impacts from the GFL Stoney Creek Regional Facility (SCRF) landfill. Ministry Environmental Officers continue to attend the SCRF and surrounding residential areas daily in response to the odour complaints.

GFL is continuing to take the following actions to address odours from leachate at the site:

• GFL has now commenced the operation of a treatment control system at the interim leachate pump station to mitigate odours during the processing of leachate prior to discharge to the sanitary system.  The treatment system is a wood biofilter that will treat the odours generated from the leachate in the pumping station which is located at the southeast corner of the SCRF.
• GFL has deployed an odour neutralizing system (fan and misting systems) throughout the site in four locations.
• The company continues to truck exposed leachate off site for disposal to help accelerate the removal of the excess leachate at the site.
• Any exposed leachate on-site is being treated to mitigate the odours.

GFL continues to work with their consultant to assess all other available technologies to mitigate offsite odours.  

The ministry initiated air monitoring around the landfill. The air monitoring results have now been received. The monitoring campaign confirmed the presence of odorous compounds on multiple occasions, however all measurements were below the relevant air standards. The ministry has now met with Hamilton Public Health Services to discuss and have shared the results for their health interpretation.

The ministry will be coordinating additional air monitoring campaigns in response to the community’s concerns and will ensure Environmental Officers are responding to the site regularly to assess any odour impacts and follow up with GFL to ensure that they are taking all possible steps to minimize odour impacts.

Regardless of how we refer to Hamilton’s homeless, houseless or unsheltered, they are lost souls struggling to survive. In Hamilton our current estimate of homeless through the “by name list” exceeds 1,600 people or families. Many of these folks are staying with friends or families. Some lost their apartments or rooms when they lost their jobs during the pandemic. Many are working poor with insufficient income to pay the excessive rents in Hamilton. Some come from other Ontario cities hearing that Hamilton is more compassionate. Some are refugees that were either sent here or decided to come to Hamilton. Some are mentally ill patients who were discharged without a community treatment plan because there are insufficient community health supports.

There are approximately 150 :chronic homeless” who struggle with the rules when housed due to high acuities such as serious mental illness or drug addiction. Generally speaking, these are the folks who live in small tent communities.

Let me be clear, I do not support tent encampments in parks. I believe that officially permitting tents in parks with various radial separation only serves to justify encampments as part of the Hamilton housing continuum. It is inhumane to encourage encampments. Chronic homeless individuals need supportive housing to assist them with their acuities whether it is mental illness or drug abuse. While the province provides $28million annually for homelessness shelters and services, they need to provide immediate capital funding for 400 new supportive housing units that are shovel ready.

The text below is the verbatim of my comments at the August 18, 2023 City Council meeting.

Councillor Brad Clark Comments RE: Encampments in Parks at Hamilton City Council

“I remain opposed to the General Issue Committee decision to officially permit tents in parks, with 5 tents to be 100 metres apart, 10 metres from private property lines and with a variety of other radial separations. I fear that this decision will have far reaching impacts across our entire city pitting neighbours against neighbours.

I fear that the 11 day timeline proposed for enforcement of the bylaws will result in so many tents in parks across the city that bylaw enforcement will not have the staff to enforce these radial separations, that our housing teams and social navigators will not be able to keep up.

I fear neighbourhood disputes may well result in threats and violence, we must guard against it.

I fear that the lack of supports on so many sites will bring an increase in drug poisonings caused by the black-market drugs being sold to lost souls who just want to forget their plight or silence the voices even if it is just for a moment.

I fear that businesses that have been dealing with smash and grabs, aggressive panhandling, fearful customers and staff will lose their fight to stay afloat.

I fear that we will not see an increase in provincial funding to manage the onslaught of desperate unhoused people looking for shelters from heat or cold as the Provincial Government continues to ignore this emergency, point fingers and offer political spin about doing their part while playing to their base by stigmatizing the mentally ill, homeless, substance abusers and refugees.

Let me be clear, for me, this is not about one ward against another or one area of the city against another. My concern has always been about zero tolerance for tents or encampments in public parks in all wards.

The city should have utilized unused industrial lands, parking lots that are buffered from residences. Lack of shade could have been easily resolved with some creativity with field tents like field hospitals.

I suggest that the city be prepared to further increase the use of motels or hotels for temporary shelters for families and refugees beyond this plan as winter is coming.

I suggest the city expedite the renovations of the 416 CHH properties even if it means paying a premium to advance the work.

Finally, the city should request that the AG conduct value for money audits for the use of provincial homeless money to verify that we have properly used these funds and to justify our requests for emergency homeless funding. Such a request should clearly indicate that any emergency funding will be temporary to enable the construction of supportive housing and affordable housing.

Mayor, while I always respect council decisions, I do remain opposed to the approach proposed and I will vote accordingly.”

(Hamilton City Council August 18, 2023)

My Office has been working with the Mayor’s Office, City Manager’s Office to collaboratively share our concerns, on behalf of thousands of residents, about these ongoing odour issue to the MECP Local District Office, and the Minister’s. We have continued to stress that this is 100% unacceptable. Nobody should have to endure these odours for any period of time, let alone an entire summer.

We continue to rely on residents to file complaints during normal business hours with the local district office at 905 521-7650, after hours GFL Toll Free 1 800 567-7455 or MECP Spill Line Toll-free: 1-800-268-6060

Here is the most recent update from the MECP.

1. Ministry staff continue to visit the site regularly to assess odours.

2. On August 1, 2023, the City of Hamilton notified the ministry that they have been in discussions with GFL around ceasing any discharge of leachate to the sanitary sewer that could cause odours from downstream manholes in accordance with their sewer use by-law.

3. GFL has advised that they remain in discussion with the City of Hamilton about other potential leachate disposal options such as using tanker trucks to haul it offsite for disposal at the wastewater treatment facility.

4. On August 2, 2023, ministry environmental officers attended the GFL landfill site and confirmed offsite odours in the residential area North of the facility. During the assessment of the site and operations, the officer identified exposed leachate in the active landfill cell which was identified as a likely contributing source of the offsite odours.

5. With the increased precipitation, and GFL unable to dispose of leachate through the normal process of treatment and discharge to the sanitary sewer, it is believed excess leachate has accumulated in the landfill and is contributing to the offsite odours.

6. On August 2, 2023, the ministry required GFL to submit a detailed action plan to the Hamilton District Office by August 3, 2023. The action plan is to include at a minimum:

7. The strategy to deal with the odours from currently exposed leachate at the site;

8. A plan to remove and dispose of leachate from the landfill to reduce leachate levels; and

9. A plan for continuous odour monitoring on-site and in nearby residential areas so that immediate actions can be taken if odours are detected offsite.

10. GFL submitted the action plan end of day, August 3, 2023.

11. The plan is under review to determine if it addresses the ministry’s request.

12. GFL informed the ministry that they are finalizing a Community

Communications Plan to keep the local community informed of actions implemented to address their concerns. On August 4, they shared the attached update with the Community Liaison Committee.

13. The ministry’s environment officers will continue to respond to complaints, assess any odour impacts and follow up with the company to ensure that they are taking all possible steps to minimize odour impacts.