Timmins joins northern cities in reducing landfill gas emissions
Decomposing trash in landfills causes greenhouse gases like methane and carbon dioxide to vent into the atmosphere— and the City of Timmins is now installing a system that can reduce those emissions at one of its largest landfills.
The Deloro landfill is over 350,000 square meters in size and the province requires facilities that large to install a gas collection system that can properly dispose of methane gas, one of the more potent greenhouse gases.
The city's manager of environmental services and public utilities, Scott Tam, said details are now being finalized for a Kitchener-based company to install such a system at a price tag of around $2.4 million.
"Basically what we're going to do is instead of venting off into the natural environment, we're going to collect it into one point system and basically flare it off," said Tam.
Flaring is a method of controlled burning that destroys methane. It also results in some CO2 emissions but experts say between the two, raw methane is more dangerous.
Though it's not required of municipalities, Tam said the city wants to eventually install a system that can use the methane collected to heat buildings, power equipment, or sell off to companies.
"At some point in the future (we could) potentially convert it into some type of renewable, self-sustaining energy facility at the landfill itself," Tam said.
Timmins is now more caught up with other northern cities like Sudbury, Sault Ste Marie, and North Bay, which have had gas collection systems at some of their landfills for years.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Widow looking for answers after Quebec man dies in Texas Ironman competition
The widow of a Quebec man who died competing in an Ironman competition is looking for answers.
Tom Mulcair: Park littered with trash after 'pilot project' is perfect symbol of Trudeau governance
Former NDP leader Tom Mulcair says that what's happening now in a trash-littered federal park in Quebec is a perfect metaphor for how the Trudeau government runs things.
World seeing near breakdown of international law amid wars in Gaza and Ukraine, Amnesty says
The world is seeing a near breakdown of international law amid flagrant rule-breaking in Gaza and Ukraine, multiplying armed conflicts, the rise of authoritarianism and huge rights violations in Sudan, Ethiopia and Myanmar, Amnesty International warned Wednesday as it published its annual report.
Photographer alleges he was forced to watch Megan Thee Stallion have sex and was unfairly fired
A photographer who worked for Megan Thee Stallion said in a lawsuit filed Tuesday that he was forced to watch her have sex, was unfairly fired soon after and was abused as her employee.
Amid concerns over 'collateral damage' Trudeau, Freeland defend capital gains tax change
Facing pushback from physicians and businesspeople over the coming increase to the capital gains inclusion rate, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and his deputy Chrystia Freeland are standing by their plan to target Canada's highest earners.
U.S. Senate passes bill forcing TikTok's parent company to sell or face ban, sends to Biden for signature
The Senate passed legislation Tuesday that would force TikTok's China-based parent company to sell the social media platform under the threat of a ban, a contentious move by U.S. lawmakers that's expected to face legal challenges.
Wildfire southwest of Peace River spurs evacuation order
People living near a wildfire burning about 15 kilometres southwest of Peace River are being told to evacuate their homes.
U.S. Senate overwhelmingly passes aid for Ukraine, Israel and Taiwan with big bipartisan vote
The U.S. Senate has passed US$95 billion in war aid to Ukraine, Israel and Taiwan, sending the legislation to President Joe Biden after months of delays and contentious debate over how involved the United States should be in foreign wars.
'My stomach dropped': Winnipeg man speaks out after being criminally harassed following single online date
A Winnipeg man said a single date gone wrong led to years of criminal harassment, false arrests, stress and depression.