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Garbage options studied

Plasco Energy Group’s scheme to turn Central Alberta garbage into energy may have fizzled, but the search for an alternative to burying garbage goes on.

Plasco Energy Group’s scheme to turn Central Alberta garbage into energy may have fizzled, but the search for an alternative to burying garbage goes on.

The nine-municipality Central Waste Management Commission has formed a technical committee to explore new waste technologies and see what might be a good fit for the region, said chairman Dave Hoar, a Red Deer County councillor.

Administrative staff from commission’s member municipalities will have the job of picking waste options that bear further investigation, he said.

Staff will also take a hard look at how much garbage is available that can be guaranteed to a company offering an alternative to landfilling.

The Plasco deal, six years in the works, fell apart largely because the amount of garbage municipalities could guarantee the company fell far short of the Ottawa-based company’s requirements for its proposed waste-to-energy plant.

Hoar said all waste management options are on the table.

“We have no idea where it might go. For example, composting might become a feature that could utilize a significant portion of the area’s garbage.

“We’re looking at any and all alternatives to landfilling.”

The commission has set no deadlines for coming up with a landfill substitute.

“Each of the municipalities indicated they have the ability to deal with their garbage on a short-term basis. Nobody’s in a panic.”

pcowley@www.reddeeradvocate.com