Council Highlights from the November 1, 2021 Meeting

Clarington asks Province to review its Alternative Low Carbon Fuels regulations

Clarington Council is asking the Province to review Ontario Regulation 79/15 focused on Alternative Low Carbon Fuels (ALCF). Local company St Marys Cement currently uses ALCF as an energy source for its Bowmanville plant. This replaces the use of Petroleum Coke as a fuel source, seeking to reduce greenhouse gas emissions (GHG). While the Municipality supports the reduced use of fossil fuels and the reduction of GHG emissions in the community, Clarington is asking the Province to review Regulation 79/15 to provide greater control and monitoring over fuel content and emissions used at approved facilities. Clarington is also asking the Province to increase communications and monitoring to ensure that GHG reductions are occurring by switching the fuel sources and that public awareness of projects and companies using ALCF is increased. 

For more information, read Resolution JC-058-21.

Council asks the Province to order an environmental assessment for the Region's planned anaerobic digestion facility and consider alternate locations

Council is asking the Ministry of the Environment, Conservation and Parks to order an Environmental Assessment for the Region of Durham's planned Mixed-Waste Pre-Sort and Anaerobic Digestion Facility. The request includes that the Environmental Assessment consider at least two alternate sites that would include an acceptable location in Clarington outside of the proposed Energy Park site and Whitby's existing Regional Material Recovery Facility site. Clarington will have to explain why the Region's chosen site in Clarington's Energy Park next to the Durham York Energy Centre is not the most appropriate site for the facility. Council is also requesting that the Province intervene to protect the Clarington Energy Park, which is part of a Provincially Significant Employment Zone from what is considered "incompatible development," which goes against the current Prestige Employment Zoning for the area. Council is essentially saying that the Mixed-Waste Pre-Sort and Anaerobic Digestion Facility will become a default location for similar facilities and cause anticipated economic loss in its current proposed location.

The proposed Mixed-Waste Pre-Sort and Anaerobic Digestion Facility will accept all garbage collected by the Region of Durham and remove organic materials and other waste that doesn't belong in the garbage. It will also convert organic waste into energy using anaerobic digestion, a natural process that uses microbes found in the environment to break down organic material, converting it into renewable energy.

For more information, read Report PDS-056-21.

Council approves lighting for Courtice and Bowmanville dog parks

The leash-free dog parks in both Courtice and Bowmanville will soon see new lights as Council has approved the installation of solar lighting in both of those areas. Councillors discussed these locations as widely used by residents and in need of lighting during the evening. Staff have been directed to install the new lighting as soon as possible. In the meantime, the lights at the sports field beside the Courtice leash-free dog park will be turned on from 5 to 9 p.m. until the new lighting is installed.

Read resolution C-355-21 for more details.

The next Council Meeting is on Monday, November 22, 2021.