Minister's Speech

Remarks prepared for:

The Honourable John Gerretsen
Minister of the Environment

Ribbon-cutting ceremony –
Niagara Waste Systems Composting Facility

Thorold, Ontario
Tuesday, June 23, 2009 (10:30 a.m.) .

Thank you, Jim. (Minister to be introduced by the Honourable Jim Bradley)

Good morning.  I’m glad to be in Thorold – and I’m especially pleased to stand here beside my colleague, Jim Bradley.

Jim, of course, is one of my predecessors as Minister of the Environment.  He’s passionate about protecting the environment and growing the economy of this region.

I look forward to joining Jim and touring this new organics processing facility … and getting a first-hand look at the excellent work being done here.

The Region of Niagara has been active in its search for solutions to divert organic wastes away from disposal in landfills.

You’ve shown foresight and you’ve picked a good partner in Walker Industries.

I know this facility will make a major contribution to the effectiveness of your Source Separated Organics program.

I understand the GORE Cover being used here is a leading technology that prevents odours while creating high-quality compost.

This is the kind of innovation we want to see in Ontario.

New products, technologies and environmental services are key catalysts driving the fundamental transformation happening in Ontario as we take our place in the emerging global green economy.

A sustainable economy will create high-skilled, high-paying jobs.

Many of these jobs will come from providing environmental products and services – including innovative waste management solutions.

This facility is leading to green infrastructure construction and generating $10 million in local spending.  It’s maintaining and creating new jobs, and increasing tax revenue.

Low capital and operating costs mean a long-term sustainable solution for organics in the Niagara Region – providing among the most cost-competitive in-vessel organic treatment in the province.

The Niagara Region is showing the kind of leadership we need in dealing with waste.

We must “up our game” in many ways.

Ontarians generate more waste per capita than just about anyone else, with too much of it ending up in landfills.

In the past, perhaps because we have so much land, we acted as if it was an unlimited resource.

Today we know better.  Landfills use up valuable land. Contaminants can leach into our waters.  Methane and emissions from waste transport trucks get released into the air and contribute to climate change and smog.

Not to mention the cost of finding landfill sites and dealing with pollution problems after the fact.

This understanding has made a big difference in Ontario and, as a result, our province has been home to some great advances in waste management.

We’ve made real progress in waste management in the past year.  We introduced new programs for diverting and disposing of municipal hazardous or special waste for electrical and electronic equipment, and for tires.

These advances stem from the new way we look at waste in Ontario.

Our zero waste philosophy – cradle-to-cradle – is that first generation use is a raw material for the next generation.

It’s a “virtuous circle” – and this new facility illustrates this circle.

It’s designed to process a minimum of 40,000 tonnes of organic wastes annually, and can be expanded to meet the needs of future growth.

It means a big reduction in the amount of leaf and yard waste, organics and kitchen waste going into landfill. 

The resulting composted organics are used in a variety of ways that benefit soil, plants and the environment.

This material can be used in gardens, on playing fields, and on the landscaped parts of roads, cycleways and parks. It minimizes soil erosion, and cuts down on weeds.

The end product of composting supplements petroleum-based fertilizers, sequesters carbon in the soil, and reduces irrigation requirements.

Other environmental benefits include reducing emissions of several pollutants, including greenhouse gases, toxics, and carcinogens.

By recognizing the value inherent in the waste stream, composting facilities like this build, support and enhance innovations that will drive a new green economy.

Congratulations to the Region of Niagara on the opening of this important new composting facility.

Together with your partners at Walker Industries, you are helping create a healthier, cleaner and more prosperous future for our province.

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