A Timmins-based waste management company was convicted of one violation under the Environmental Protection Act, fined $15,394 plus a victim fine surcharge of $3,848, and given one year to pay. The company, identified as 1128850 Ontario Inc. in court documents but as Erocon Waste Management in other provincial documents operates a wood waste landfill site located in Tisdale Township, Cochrane District.
The landfill site operates under a Ontario Environmental Ministry approval that was issued in 1996. Since the time of issue, there have been four amendments to the approval including an increased schedule for financial assurance payments. The increase in financial assurance was determined based on information provided by the company’s environmental consultant.
Financial assurance is financial security (cash or marketable securities) that guarantees the costs of complying with environmental objectives can be covered, should an owner or operator of a site be unable to pay for remediation due to bankruptcy or insolvency
According to the Environmental Registry of Ontario, the 24-hectare site is approved to take in non-hazardous solid waste. Seventy-five per cent is wood waste from various wood mills in the region and 25 per cent is local construction and demolition waste. Some processing is done to remove recyclable materials, such as tires, steel, discarded plastic pails and electronics. The facility receives a daily average volume of 150 cubic metres or 30,000 cubic metres annually.
The conviction and fine were the result of the when the company failed to provide the assessed financial assurance per the conditions of the ministry approval.
