A year after the administration building at the Francis Cooke Regional Class II landfill burned down, plans are underway to rebuild it bigger, better and greener.
The Bow Valley Waste Management Commission operates the landfill and last fall a small older administration structure and scale house burnt down during a break and enter.
Commission board chair Paul Ryan said a new location for a facility had to be found because the old structure was actually sitting on top of future landfill space valued at almost $3 million.
“The old building was sitting on millions of dollars of usable landfill space,” Ryan said. “Once the board became aware, we unanimously supported looking for a new location within our boundaries. We may have a lot of land, but not a lot of places where we could rebuild. A lot of engineering was necessary to find and prepare the best location.”
In addition to a new location, sustainability was also a welcome addition in a new structure to replace the older trailers staff used until they were destroyed.
Ryan said the new building design includes a 25-kilowatt solar panel array and a 20-kilowatt biomass waste to energy generator. The biomass will not only generate energy, but will help heat the building, making it more comfortable for staff than before.
CAO Andrew Calder said the potential for the biomass gasifier for landfill operations could extend to other locations in Alberta if the project is successful.
“If the commission can demonstrate that this technology can be practically used to recycle wood waste in Alberta, then we hope that it may lead to other landfills across Alberta in adopting similar technology,” Calder said.
A new location also has new challenges for the building’s construction. Calder said the remote location of the building means there is no servicing and water and wastewater infrastructure must be installed, along with electrical services and widening of the road.
“It is not as straightforward as it appears,” he said.
The commission needs to apply for development and building permits from the MD of Bighorn for the 2,400 square foot building.
“The building itself is around $425,000,” Ryan said. “We expect to see another $200,000 in infrastructure costs related to choosing a different site, so we will be going back to the board for a budget adjustment.”
In addition to being a better facility for staff to work out of – what burned down last year was an ATCO jobsite trailer and a mobile home – it will also be more secure.
In addition to the break and enter that resulted in the fire last fall, replacement trailers on site have since suffered repeated break ins. The new structure is proposed to include toughened exterior features and a video monitored alarm system.
