Regional Organics Compost Project
A new regional composting facility will be built at the Campbell River Waste Management Centre, enabling curbside organics collection for over 30,000 single-family dwellings in Campbell River, Comox, Cumberland and Courtenay. This household organic material will be transformed into finished compost for agriculture and landscaping.
The $15.5 million project is funded through $6.4 million in grants and $9.1 million from CSWM reserves. Operations will be funded through tipping fees. Cost savings can be realized by removing organics from the waste stream which will prolong the life of our regional landfill.
WHAT WE HEARD
We’d like to thank everyone who participated in our consultation in February 2020 and March 2021. The feedback we collected helped to inform the facility design and planned operations of the compost facility and transfer station. For more information about What We Heard from the community, please read our final summary report. This was presented to the CSWM board on April 22 and will be submitted to the BC Ministry of Environment and Climate Change Strategy to support regulatory applications for this project.
DESIGN HIGHLIGHTS
Click on the image below to read more about the facility design and how it addresses input we've received from the community.
All composting activities will be completed indoors, minimizing noise and odour. There will be no impacts to groundwater and surrounding habitat. The enclosed processing building and supporting infrastructure will be centrally located on a cleared area at the rear of the property, leaving a forested buffer around the site.
TRANSFER STATION
An organic transfer station will be constructed at the Comox Valley Waste Management Centre (regional landfill) located in Cumberland. When the Campbell River landfill reaches capacity in late 2021/early 2022, waste will be transferred to the regional landfill in Cumberland. These trailers will take organics from Courtenay, Comox and Cumberland to the regional compost facility in Campbell River on their return trip, maximizing trucking efficiencies. Approximately one to two truck trailers will be transferred to Campbell River per day.
Conceptual drawing of proposed transfer stationREGULATORY APPROVALS
A summary of the public consultation undertaken will be submitted to the BC Ministry of Environment and Climate Change Strategy to support applications for a targeted amendment to CSWM’s Solid Waste Management Plan to construct the regional organics facility and an Operating Permit for the regional organics facility under the Organic Matter Recycling Regulation.
The Ministry administers and regulates air quality issues, including odour issues, under the authority of the Environmental Management Act. The Organic Matter Recycling Regulation governs production, quality and land application of certain types of organic matter.
Development and building permits will be required from the City of Campbell River and the Village of Cumberland. The facility will comply with Public Nuisance bylaws, which includes prevention of nuisance odours.
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What We Heard - Final Consultation Report Available
We’d like to thank everyone who participated in our consultation in February 2020 and March 2021. The feedback we collected helped to inform the facility design and planned operations of the compost facility and transfer station. For more information about What We Heard from the community, please read our final summary report.
This was presented to the CSWM board on April 22 and will be submitted to the BC Ministry of Environment and Climate Change Strategy to support regulatory applications for this project.
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Learn More about the Regional Organics Compost Project
The preliminary design for the new composting facility being built at the Campbell River Waste Management Centre in 2022 is now ready to share with the public.
This much-needed regional facility will enable curbside organics collection for over 30,000 single-family homes in Campbell River, Comox, Cumberland and Courtenay by fall next year. The household organic material will be repurposed into finished compost for agricultural and landscaping uses, diverting approximately 30 per cent of collected waste from our regional landfill.
“Removing organics from the waste stream is essential to manage our solid waste cost effectively, reduce greenhouse gasses and advance our regional waste diversion goals,” explained Cole Makinson, Capital Projects Manager for Comox Strathcona Waste Management Service. “We are excited to share our plans for the new regional composting facility with the community and explain how their input will be used to make our diversion goals a reality.
Informed by extensive community input collected in 2020, staff have worked closely with solid waste management engineers, Sperling Hansen, to design a composting facility and transfer station that ensures issues like odour, groundwater, pests and traffic are addressed.
The public can learn more about the facility designs, ask questions and register to attend a webinar at www.connectcvrd.ca/regionalorganics.
- Tuesday, March 16, 2021, 12 noon - 1 pm
- Thursday, March 18, 2021, 5 pm - 6 pm
Comments will be summarized and submitted to the BC Ministry of Environment and Climate Change Strategy to support applications for a targeted amendment to CSWM’s Solid Waste Amendment Plan for the Regional Organics Compost Project including construction of the composting facility and supporting transfer station, as well as an operating permit for the composting facility under the Organic Matter Recycling Regulation.
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What We Heard: Consultation Informs the Design and Operations of the Regional Composting Facility
Planning is underway for a new regional composting facility at the Campbell River Waste Management Centre and residents were invited to provide their input and learn more about the project throughout January and early February, 2020.
Residents had the opportunity to complete a survey online and in person, and the community was also invited to provide feedback and meet the project team at two open houses that took place in Campbell River. We’d like to thank everyone who participated in our consultation. The information collected has helped Comox Strathcona Waste Management (CSWM) better understand what is important to residents and will be used in the planning of this facility.
A What We Heard report summarizing community input collected during the consultation process has been shared with the Comox Strathcona Waste Management (CSWM) Board and with proponents to inform the facility design and operations.
Read the What We Heard report here.
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New Program Helps Keep Organic Waste Out of Landfills
The province of British Columbia has announced the grant recipients of the new Organics Infrastructure Program, which includes the CSWM's regional organics composting facility. The project received $484,815 million in provincial funding on January 30, 2020. Total grant funding for the $14.7 million project is expected to be $6.4 million, with the remaining $8.3 million in project costs to be funding by reserves.
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Solid Waste Service Seeking Input from Residents about New Regional Composting Facility Planned for Campbell River
Planning is underway for a new regional composting facility at the Campbell River Waste Management Centre and residents are invited to provide their input and learn more about the project over the next month.
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Location of New Regional Organics Facility Announced
A new regional composting facility will be built at the Campbell River Waste Management Centre. Construction will be complete in 2021, enabling a phased introduction of organics collection for over 30,000 single family dwellings in Campbell River, Comox, Cumberland and Courtenay.
Comox Strathcona Waste Management
Videos
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Watch a recording of our March 16 lunch hour webinar which includes a presentation from our project team about the design for the regional organics compost facility and transfer station. Find out how input from the community was used and listen to our team respond to questions in the chat session.
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Watch a recording of this March 18 evening webinar which includes a presentation from our project team about the design for the regional organics compost facility and transfer station. Find out how input from the community was used and listen to our team respond to questions in the chat session.
