The regional landfill in Cedar accepted 61,000 tons of trash in 2021. The RDN has an ambitious waste diversion rate of 90 per cent over the next several years. (Alex Rawnsley/NanaimoNewsNOW)

By Ian Holmes

trash talk

RDN probes expansion to extend life of regional landfill

Jan 17, 2022 | 5:29 AM

NANAIMO — The Regional District of Nanaimo (RDN) is wondering if a long-term landfill option could be found by looking over its back fence.

An unsealed RDN document revealed a preliminary attempt to expand the south boundary of the Cedar Rd. facility — however it’s very much unclear if the concept can be put into action.

RDN solid waste manager Larry Gardner said an engineering firm identified a suitable piece of land to prolong the landfill, owned by Seacliff Properties.

Gardner said the firm overseeing the Sandstone development was asked about selling a small chunk of its land.

“From a Seacliff perspective they’ve indicated they’re not really interested in having any conversations about a landfill expansion at this point,” Gardner said.

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Seacliff Properties did not respond to NanaimoNewsNOW’s request for comment.

Current landfill usage rates indicate an additional 10 hectares tacked onto the existing 38 hectare Cedar landfill would extend the facility by more than 100 additional years.

The RDN anticipates the dump will reach capacity in 2040, however further waste diversion efforts could add 10 to 15 extra years of life.

Seacliff Properties’ Sandstone Master Plan envisions having the landfill capped at the end of its useful life, followed by transforming the site into a regional park.

Also at play is the City’s updated Official Community Plan process, branded as Reimagine Nanaimo, scheduled to be endorsed later this year.

Gardner said pausing how to proceed long-term with the landfill site until later this year makes sense based on what’s happening at City Hall.

“If there is consideration of an expansion, we can fit it in with what the City’s long-term vision for the community is.”

Gardner said while there is plenty of time before the landfill is out of room, it’s important to thoughtfully plan how to offer a high value service taxpayers support.

“If we were to wait until the landfill closes, basically our only option, at least at this point, would be export,” Gardner said.

He said North American trends of shutting many landfills down and shipping waste to a few mega sites presents higher costs.

“As there’s fewer landfills in the future than can manage this material and more people shipping waste to those landfills, we anticipate costs for access to those to increase in the future,” Gardner said.

The RDN’s solid waste management plan approved in 2020 listed collaborating with other local governments, siting a new landfill and/or exporting trash off the island as long-term options.

Exploring expansion opportunities for the landfill was listed by the RDN in a request for proposals in 2020 for engineering services at the landfill.

About 165,000 people between Cedar and Bowser are served by the regional landfill.

Seacliff Properties has large swaths of land surrounding the landfill primed for redevelopment, involving a substantial mixed-use community expected in the coming decades, including 2,200 residential units.

The proposal is expected to go to public hearing in the near future after the first two readings of an amended master plan was endorsed by city councillors last November.

A planned Jan. 20 public hearing on the Sandstone project was recently postponed by the City due to the Omicron variant.

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ian@nanaimonewsnow.com

On Twitter: @reporterholmes