WASTE MANAGEMENT OPENS FIRST-EVER PRIVATE LANDFILL-GAS-TO-ENERGY PROJECT IN
SOUTHWESTERN ONTARIO

New Petrolia Landfill facilities will generate enough clean, renewable energy to power 2,500 homes- enough energy to power all the homes in Petrolia

PETROLIA, ON, Oct. 20 /CNW/ - After months of construction, Waste Management is formally flipping the switch on the landfill-gas-to-energy (LFGTE) project at its Petrolia Landfill, launching a new movement in clean energy in Southwestern Ontario with the region's first private LFGTE facility.

The new facility will use methane gas - created from the natural decomposition of waste - to power up to 2,500 homes in the surrounding area.  The gas is collected through wells that are strategically placed throughout the site, which powers four large engines and generates approximately 3.2 megawatts of power.

"LFGTE is a source of alternative energy that makes use of the waste we all generate" says Mike Hirlehey, district manager with Waste Management. "This facility marks a milestone for clean energy in Ontario as Waste Management expands our LFGTE mandate with the goal of reducing the province's carbon footprint. This is the second facility Waste Management has opened in Ontario and only the third in all of Canada."

This grand opening represents the first of two projects slated for the region, with a second project destined for the Twin Creeks Landfill in nearby Watford.

Electricity generated at the new facility will be directed to the Town of Petrolia and the Ontario grid through Bluewater Power's distribution system. "Bluewater Power is pleased to partner with Waste Management on this excellent initiative," says Tim Vanderheide, chief operating officer, Bluewater Power Generation Corporation. "Our goal is to provide value to local communities by providing innovative energy solutions, which is exactly what this green energy project is all about."

The Petrolia landfill provides waste disposal services for Petrolia and the surrounding communities as well as accepting waste from high volume areas such as the Region of Peel.  "I am pleased to be a part of a program that turns the waste from the Region of Peel into clean energy for the community and surrounding region," says Emil Kolb, chair of Peel Regional Council.

Waste Management is North America's largest operator of LFGTE facilities with renewable energy projects at over 120 of its landfills.  In 2007, the company announced plans to add 60 new facilities to its network by 2013, which will generate over 700 megawatts of energy from its landfills, enough to power 700,000 homes.  Through these projects, the company aims to double the amount of waste-based energy produced, with the goal of providing power to two million homes by 2020. 

"Waste Management pioneered landfill-gas-to-energy technology over two decades ago, and we operate more facilities than any other company in North America," says Hirlehey. "As a leader in this industry, we plan to expand the use of this technology to leverage this valuable resource to meet Canada's ever-expanding energy needs in a clean and sustainable manner."

ABOUT WASTE MANAGEMENT
Waste Management, Inc., based in Houston, Texas, is the leading provider of comprehensive waste management services in North America. Through its subsidiaries, the company provides collection, transfer, recycling and resource recovery, and disposal services. It is also a leading developer, operator and owner of waste-to-energy and landfill gas-to-energy facilities in the United States. The company's customers include residential, commercial, industrial, and municipal customers throughout North America. To learn more information about Waste Management visit www.wm.com or www.thinkgreen.com.

ABOUT BLUE WATER POWER
Bluewater Power, based in Sarnia, Ontario, provides electricity distribution and related services to approximately 35,000 customers in its shareholder municipalities of Sarnia, Petrolia, Point Edward, Watford, Alvinston, and Oil Springs. The utility provides the connection to the provincial electricity grid; distributes electricity locally through the distribution network; provides metering services; and bills customers for the electricity they consume. An affiliate, Bluewater Power Generation Corporation, was established in 2007 with the mandate to promote, develop and maintain renewable generation projects. Bluewater Power Generation Corporation currently owns and operates a 1.6 MW landfill gas to energy project and has interests in several other renewable energy projects.

For further information:

Waste Management

Media
Wes Muir
905 595 3345
[email protected]