Ellsin Environmental Ltd. Sault Ste. Marie tire waste thermal treatment facility
Learn about the new regulation that allows Ellsin Environmental to increase the quantity of tires they can thermally treat daily.
Current status
A regulation has been made under the Environmental Assessment Act allowing Ellsin Environmental to increase the quantity of tires they can thermally treat daily (from 10 tonnes to 20 tonnes) and recover valuable materials, without carrying out additional environmental assessment work. This is due to the extensive Environmental Assessment work already completed and the various other ministry approvals required for the project which ensure environmental protections are maintained.
Project summary
The establishing or changing of a thermal treatment facility at Ellsin Environmental’s (Ellsin’s) property at 155 Yates Avenue in Sault Ste. Marie has been exempt from the Environmental Assessment Act, provided that certain criteria are satisfied. This is due to the extensive environmental assessment work already completed by Ellsin and the various other ministry approvals required for the project which ensure environmental protections are maintained.
Recovering value from waste is an essential component of Ontario’s commitment to divert waste from landfill. Ontario wants to support the establishment of thermal treatment facilities that recover valuable materials and support green economic recovery, while maintaining appropriate environmental protections.
Proponent
Ellsin Environmental Ltd.
Location
155 Yates Avenue, Sault Ste. Marie
Type
Waste management
Reference number
21003
Contact
Sarah Raetsen, Environmental Assessment Branch
Project history
Exemption regulation (2021): filed
Proposal date: March 19, 2021
Expiry of public comment period: May 3, 2021
Decision date: July 30, 2021
Exemption regulation (2021)
A regulation has been made under the Environmental Assessment Act that allows Ellsin Environmental to increase the amount of tire waste that is thermally treated at its Sault Ste. Marie facility at 155 Yates Avenue to a maximum of 20 tonnes per day without further requirements under the Environmental Assessment Act.
The regulation exempts the establishing or changing of a thermal treatment facility at 155 Yates Avenue in Sault Ste. Marie from the Environmental Assessment Act, provided that:
- the facility does not use coal, oil or petroleum coke as a fuel for thermal treatment
- the waste that is thermally treated at the facility is tire waste
- the maximum amount of tire waste that is thermally treated at the facility on any day is no more than 20 tonnes
In 2017, Ellsin initiated an Environmental Screening Process to convert its 10 tonnes per day pilot thermal treatment facility to a commercial facility treating 20 tonnes of tires per day. Ellsin’s intention was to generate electricity from the syngas produced at the facility.
Ellsin later revised its proposal to 10 tonnes per day without electricity generation and completed the Environmental Screening Process in 2019.
As part of the screening process, Ellsin completed an assessment of potential effects on the environment from the operation of a commercial facility treating 20 tonnes of tire waste per day. Given this previous work, Ellsin requested the ministry exempt its proposal from additional environmental assessment requirements.
The substantial work Ellsin Environmental completed during the previous Environmental Screening Process determined that the potential environmental effects from increasing the quantity of tires they can thermally treat daily are similar in nature to the existing environmental effects, since there will be no new infrastructure and the facility footprint will remain the same.
Requiring Ellsin to conduct additional environmental assessment work would repeat consultation and evaluation already completed under the Environmental Screening Process.
Ellsin will need to apply for amendments to its existing air, noise and waste Environmental Compliance Approvals to allow for the increased thermal treatment capacity while maintaining environmental protection. If the amendments are approved, the Environmental Compliance Approvals would include appropriate conditions under which the facility would be required to operate.
Learn more about this decision on the Environmental Registry of Ontario.