Email icon Back to Search
Whitby, Ont. – The Regional Municipality of Durham has received notification, from the Ministry of the Environment and Climate Change (MOECC), that they have approved the abatement plan prepared by the Durham York Energy Centre (DYEC) operator, Covanta, in response to the recent stack test failure for boiler #1.

The abatement plan involves two phases of investigations. The project consultant HDR Inc. prepared a report regarding Covanta’s completion of phase one of the abatement plan and the restart of boiler #1, which was reviewed by Durham staff and sent to the MOECC for their consideration today. It is
also available on the project website at www.durhamyorkwaste.ca. Phase two of the abatement plan,
including the restart of boiler #1, will not begin until this report has been approved by the MOECC. With approval, Covanta will be in a position to re-start boiler #1.

Phase two involves implementation of the abatement plan and all related actions laid out within the plan. It also includes additional investigations, as well as physical and diagnostic testing that will be undertaken after the restart of boiler #1, and the subsequent completion of an additional source test by Covanta. The fulfillment of the abatement plan will be achieved with the successful completion of a new source test.

During a May stack test, boiler #1 exceeded the Environmental Compliance Approval (ECA) limits for dioxins and furans. (Stack test results for boiler #2 demonstrated that all emissions were well below ECA limits and the facility continues to operate with boiler #2.) Boiler #1 was taken off-line on May
26.

Interested residents may sign up to receive email notifications whenever new documents are posted to the Durham York Energy Centre project website. To register for these updates on new documents posted to the website please submit your email address through the subscribe section of the project
website https://www.durhamyorkwaste.ca/Home/Subscribe.aspx.

Emissions monitoring data is streamed in real time and posted online at the project website (www.durhamyorkwaste.ca) and on a large electronic board outside of the visitor’s centre.
Environmental reports, as well as a comprehensive overview of the facility and answers to frequently asked questions are also available online.

The Durham York Energy Centre, located in Courtice, is Durham Region’s primary long-term disposal option for waste and only processes the household waste remaining after Durham and York Regions’ aggressive composting, recycling and reuse programs. Both regions are leaders in waste diversion with diversion rates consistently above 50 percent. For more information on the Durham York Energy Centre,
visit www.durhamyorkwaste.ca, call 1-800-667-5671, or email info@durhamyorkwaste.ca.

- 30 -

Media inquiries:
The Regional Municipality of Durham
Corporate Communications Office
905-668-7711 or CorporateCommunications@durham.ca