Ottawa searches for new waste company after Plasco misses deadline

The City of Ottawa has put out a call for other waste companies capable of handling household garbage after Plasco missed its final deadline to provide plans for a waste-to-energy plant.

• Plascomisses3rddeadline; city contract in question

In 2012, the city signed a 20-year, $180 million contract with Plasco to divertresidential wastefrom landfills and instead use it to produce electricity.

Plasco was given until Dec. 31, 2014 tosecure financing for a proposed plant, after missing two previous deadlines.

Now that Plasco has missed its year-end deadline, the City of Ottawa now has the option of backing out of its contract in favour of a new partner. The city posted aRequest for Informationon the public tender site Merx "to identify potential established or emerging technologies that could be used in the future to manage residual waste."

The posting states that it is seeking information only at this point about options other than landfills.

Responses to the posting will be included in a report to the city's environment committee at its Feb. 17 meeting, said committee chairCouncillor David Chernushenko.

"It doesn't mean we've got a lot of time to sit around and do nothing, by any means, but it's not as if we have to say, 'Quick! Which other supplier, provider do we go to now?'" he said. "We can take the time to do that but as time ticks along,waste keep going into the landfill."

The environment committee will discuss whether or not to end the contract with Plasco but the decision is ultimately up to council.

Councillor Keith Egli said he voted against the last deadline extension.

"I think the City has to get on with the business of figuring out what we're going to do with our trash," he said. "Iwant to see at the meeting some information about what our alternatives are going forward, because I think we've spent enough time waiting to see whether this deal is coming to fruition or not, and we have to move forward."

The contract between the City and Plasco called for the company to process 300 tonnes of curbside waste a day and turnit into electricity through "plasma gasification." The company has been unable to show its technology works on a large scale.