SIGNING COULD AFFECT DUFFERIN: David Greey of Greey CTS Inc. and Mayor Don Lewis, right, sign the agreement between Greey and Southgate Township at Dundalk Wednesday for a pilot gasification plant that would handle about double the garbage generated in that township, opening a possible avenue of disposal for surrounding municipalities. Shelburne Mayor Ed Crewson has welcomed an announcement on Wednesday that a gasification plant similar to one being considered by Dufferin County Council is going to be built just outside the county.

"I'm happy about this, but I'm just a little envious," the mayor said, noting that "nothing has happened" since a proponent of a zero-waste gasification plant for Dufferin came forward a year ago.

He was particularly pleased at news that if the pilot gasification plant near Dundalk proves successful and a much larger plant is built, Shelburne will see a return of local rail service.

Although boasting success in a three-year effort to reduce the amount of garbage it has been burying, Southgate Township announced that it plans to replace its landfill sites with a $20-million gasification plant.

The facility, to be built and operated by the firm of internationally recognized professional engineer David Greey, Greey CTS of Toronto, is a "demonstration plant" that would process 24 tonnes of residual waste daily - all waste except organics and recyclable materials.

Southgate would be responsible for servicing the building lot, at the present landfill site south of Dundalk, at a cost of $3.34 million. This is expected to be two-thirds covered by a federal/provincial infrastructure grant. The full $15-million cost of the plant would be funded by Greey.

As would have been the case with Dufferin, Southgate is committed to providing a site on a leased basis, and Mr. Greey's company is responsible for all organizational and capital costs of the project. As well, the Township would send all of its residual waste to the plant. Eventually, there would be a potential to mine out the old landfill site, thereby ending the need for long-term monitoring.

Subject to a Certificate of Approval from the Ministry of the Environment, the plant will be constructed on a serviced lot in Southgate's industrial park at Dundalk, almost on the border of Melancthon Township.

"We believe this is an opportunity that we had to pursue because of the economic benefits to Southgate, the advancement of the technology and a sound solution for Southgate's present landfill waste," says a bulletin from township council.

The decision to go the gasification route was based on diligent consideration by Southgate council.

"It has become very apparent to this council that longterm landfill is not a sound, sustainable solution economically. The escalating costs associated with annual landfill ground water monitoring, annual engineering hydrogeology reports required by the Ministry of the Environment, buffer land acquisition requirements, the need for additional well monitors and general landfill operational costs has made landfilling of solid waste very expensive, because the future costs are unknown," the council told ratepayers last month.

Instead of a bigger dump, the council opted to negotiate with Mr. Greey's company as a "willing host" for a gasification plant that would generate as much as 10 megawatts of electricity in addition to cleanly disposing of all garbage.

Southgate, which includes the former village of Dundalk and Proton Township, is adjacent to Dufferin, generally north of Highway 89 and west of Highway 10. It shares the headwaters of the Grand River with Dufferin and two years ago was reported to be an area preferred by Toronto for a major landfill.

Despite some public perceptions, gasification is not a form of incineration. According to information provided, it is defined as a "waste resource utilization system [which] heats waste to 550 degrees C in an oxygenstarved environment [resulting in] a clean high synthetic gas, or Syngas, that is fired at 1,200 degrees C to produce energy through a heat exchanger that produces hot water and steam."

The demonstration plant is touted as a means of recovering 100 per cent of the energy potential from waste. It is said to

obviate the need for such as long-term, or perpetual, monitoring of landfill sites. As well, the space required for the plant avoids "the need for land consumption for landfilling and attenuation zones."

According to the material, there is no unusable residue from the process. There is, however, a solid substance that can be used in place of aggregates for cement. Southgate's Economic

Development Officer, Henry Micek, said in an interview Wednesday that the pilot plant would handle more than double the garbage now handled by Southgate, and there would be room for some from neighbouring municipalities.

Mr. Micek said the plant ultimately would be able to process 400 tonnes daily, and the proponent would be looking for that amount of garbage.

Mr. Greey said the plant would welcome plastics, paper and wood. He described the gasification process as "cooking" at extreme heat, as opposed to "burning." Processing one tonne an hour would generate, among other products, "$500 worth of (liquid) carbon dioxide," which could be quickly frozen into dry ice. Mr. Greey said he has

the North American rights to the patented Australian technology. The Dufferin-area pilot project would be a first in Canada, and could be the start of a $300-billion industry.

Mr. Micek said the pilot plant meets all the criteria demanded by Southgate: environmentally sound; long-term economic benefits; all capital costs borne by developer; financially guaranteed, and of proven technical expertise.

Melancthon Mayor Garry Matthews represented Dufferin at the signing.

He said in an interview the county is continuing to investigate gasification.

Southgate Mayor Don Lewis said the township would be looking at all alternate sources of energy, noting that as Grey County Warden he was part of the planning of the right-of-way agreement that has resulted in the entire former CPR rightof way between Owen Sound and Streetsville now being municipally owned. He has a vision of electric trains one day carrying passengers as well as freight on the former CPR line.