Steinbach’s Class 1 Solid Waste Disposal Ground Development project was completed this past Thursday.
Mayor Chris Goertzen was joined by Ash Raichura and John Ewing from Dillon Consulting, Chris Wiebe of Wiebe Investments, and Eldon Wallman, the City’s Solid Waste Department Head, in marking the completion of the project this past Thursday.
“The Landfill expansion project meets one of Council’s objectives which is to provide the city with infrastructure solutions for the long-term. Projects like this are integral to keeping our city progressive and operating efficiently,” said Mayor Goertzen.
“It has been Dillon Consulting Limited’s pleasure to work with the City of Steinbach through the licensing, design, and construction phases of their Class I Waste Disposal Ground facility,” said Ash Raichura, Engineer with Dillon Consulting. “The facility has been designed using local features as well as engineered systems to provide sustainable waste management services for the region.”
Chris Wiebe of Wiebe Investments, contractor for the project, said, “I would like to thank the City of Steinbach and the consultants for making this a very enjoyable experience.”
City Engineer, Phil Kalyta said, “The two–year construction process went well and the Project Management Team was a pleasure to work with. We now have a great facility that will serve Steinbach and area for at least the next 20 years.”
“Our new Landfill gives us a facility that operates much more efficiently and ‘environmentally correct’,” said Eldon Wallman, Solid Waste Department Head. “In general, the public will see an updated, cleaned up transfer station with more options for waste diversion.”
Mayor Chris Goertzen drops the first garbage bale into the new solid waste disposal cell, part of the new Class 1 Landfill Facility’s expansion.
As for the ‘environmentally correct’ function of the new Landfill, Wallman explains that various waste diversion programs will benefit from the expansion, including wood chipping, composting, and metal, tires, used oil, and white goods diversion and recycling programs. Although testing and monitoring was done before the expansion, the new additions to the Landfill included several in-depth monitoring and testing functions which allow for greater environmental stewardship on the part of the City.
Steinbach’s Class 1 Solid Waste Disposal Ground Development project involved the development of a new solid waste collection site, while the second phase involves the decommissioning of the old active landfill site on the same lot at a total estimated cost of $3.5 million.
The City has owned and operated a solid waste landfill site at its present location since 1956. Use of this site was provided to surrounding municipalities in 1995 as their smaller landfill sites were closed down and decommissioned. Steinbach is currently under contract to accept solid waste from the R.M. of Ste. Anne, the Village of Ste. Anne, the R.M. of La Broquerie, the R.M. of Hanover, and Moose Lake Provincial Park, which results in the collection of 27,500 tonnes of waste annually. This site services a population base of 35,000 people in southeastern Manitoba and is one of only 13 Class 1 solid waste disposal sites in the province.
