Merrick landfill project not all roses

The Merrick landfill site is being used to burn methane and will soon be used to generate energy using a methane powered engine; it will create an environmentally sound secondary source of revenue for North Bay.

Peter Bullock, Manager of Environmental Services; Frederick Mosher of Conestoga-Rovers & Associates and Alan Korell, City Engineer were put on the hot seat by council Monday night. They were there to account for lack of transparency concerning a 25% lower than expected gas production rate, conflicting gas output numbers and malfunctioning equipment which resulted in penalties and a funding shortfall as high as $357,000 for the project.

Initially it was assumed that the federal Pilot Emissions Removals, Reductions and Learning Board (PERRL) program would cover a much larger chunk of the financial burden.

“This is a very good project. There are very few communities our size across North America that collect methane… There are certain risks associated, so through the studies we have learned about the pitfalls,” Mayor Vic Fedeli said.

Mosher said everyone should still be happy with the site and its performance.

“It was our fault for not bringing to light some of the issues much sooner. In an overall perspective the project will still generate revenue and will be a great step for the city. North Bay is one of the few cities of its size to move ahead so pro-actively,” Mosher said.

On the lighter side, the value of methane has gone up around seven cents in the last few months and should offset the loss.

Mosher said that from this point forward the information will be more transparent, and believes future targets will be met.

“I think the Engineering Department got the message loud and clear that in the future we need to know, completely, the risks and rewards not just the rewards. We (the council) always want the public to know exactly what is happening … This is a worthwhile exciting project, but it’s not all roses,” Mayor Fedeli said.