Frequently asked questions

Who is Brooks Road Environmental?

Brooks Road Environmental is a waste disposal company based out of southern Ontario. It is a member of the Ontario Waste Management Association and the Solid Waste Association of North America.



Where is the Cayuga landfill located?

The Brooks Road landfill is located at 160 Brooks Rd, just north of the intersection of Talbot Road (Hwy 3) and Brooks Road just outside of the town centre of Cayuga, Ontario. Cayuga is part of the Haldimand County.



What are the hours of operation?

The landfill is open weekdays from 7:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m. and Saturdays from 7:00 a.m. – 12:00 p.m. The landfill is closed on Sundays. The site is legislated to accept waste only during these times.



How do I contact Brooks Road Environmental?

Local Contact:

Information on site operations, odour complains and general landfill information

160 Brooks Road

Cayuga, ON N0A 1E0

Tel: 1.888.40.BRENV (27368)

On-site Office Tel: 416.389.8876

Fax: 289.206.1550

office@brenvironmental.com

Corporate Contact:

Information on other Brooks Road projects

162 Cumberland Street, Suite 300 Toronto, ON M5R 3N5

Tel: 416.966.1100Fax: 416.966.1161

admin@brenvironmental.com



What is the historical site ownership of the site?

The landfill is currently owned by Brooks Road Environmental, however there is a long history of ownership dating back to when it was first established in 1959. It was purchased by Haldimand Norfolk Sanitary Landfill Inc. in 2002. Significant management issues led Haldimand Norfolk Sanitary Landfill Inc. to declare bankruptcy in 2007. Brooks Road Environmental purchased the site in 2012.



What is the history of non-compliant waste at the site?

The site was first established in 1959 as a rural dump for the surrounding area of Haldimand County. Previously known as the Edwards landfill, a lack of environmental protection and waste legislation in the 1950s and 1960s allowed for the accumulation of potentially hazardous wastes in area. Over time, this gave rise to concerns about toxic contamination. None of the previous owners had a plan in place for cleaning up the areas of concern. Since Brooks Road purchased the site, they have invested millions of dollars to bring it up to standard.

What has Brooks Road done to improve the environmental state of the site?

Brooks Road purchased a contaminated Site with a plan to upgrade to a modern facility in full compliance with the former Ministry of Environment* (MOE) requirements. To date, BRE has removed all known non-compliant waste at the site. Material considered hazardous by regulations was disposed off-site and waste deemed non-hazardous was relocated into the engineered lined cells Brooks Road discovered both hazardous and non-hazardous waste upon purchase of the site. All materials considered hazardous by environmental regulations was disposed of off-site.

*The MOE changed to the Ministry of Environment, Conservation and Parks (MECP) in 2018.



After purchasing the site, how much did Brooks Road invest to fix the existing environmental issues?

Brooks Road invested approximately $2 million dollars to upgrade the site and landfill liner system.



What type of waste does the site receive?

The site receives and manages contaminated soil and commercial waste. Commercial waste consists of waste from areas mainly used for trade or business.



Is the waste received at the site dangerous to the environment or public health?

Waste received at the site contains material that, if not properly treated, can be harmful to environmental and human health. Brooks Road manages a closely monitored landfill to ensure the environment is protected. Site operations are closely monitored by Brooks Road as well as the Ministry of Environment, Conservation and Parks.



How does the engineered landfill work?

An engineered landfill is made up of several parts, each of which is designed to protect the environment: Composite base liner system – provides a low permeability layer to separate the waste and subsequent leachate from groundwater. The Brooks Road Landfill uses a compacted clay layer and a high density polyethylene (HDPE) liner. Leachate collection system - collects and transports generated leachate above the composite base liner system within the landfill to be treated on-site. The Brooks Road Landfill leachate collection system includes a full layer of drainage stone and a perforated pipe network below the waste and above the composite base liner system. Daily/ Interim/ Final Cover – covers waste material to reduce potential for odour generation, minimize wind-blown litter, and separate clean rain water from the waste. The Brooks Road Landfill utilizes primarily clay soil as daily/ interim cover. Once final grades are achieved, a final cover system consisting of low permeability soil and vegetated topsoil will be progressively installed. Storm water management system – collects clean rain water that falls on the covered or capped areas of the landfill and provides controlled discharge from the site.



Beyond the modern, engineered liner what other environmental protections are implemented at the site?

The Ministry of Environment, Conservation and Parks manages the regulatory and approval requirements for the design, operation, closure and post-closure care of new or expanding non-hazardous waste landfilling sites. The MECP is involved in regular monitoring of the site to ensure environmental compliance. Additional measures implemented at the site include:

  • Vehicles transporting waste to and around the Site will be tarped, as required, to prevent litter from blowing out of the vehicle.

  • Daily cover (typically soils) will be applied to exposed waste to confine light weight material.

  • Cover material will be readily available to allow the working face (area where waste is deposited) to be fully covered at the end of each operating day.

  • The area of exposed waste at the working face will be minimized.

  • The location of the working face will be adjusted, as required, to provide shelter from prevailing winds, if possible.

  • Litter will be collected on an as‑needed basis, both from the Site and, if required, from the adjacent lands and roadway.

  • On‑Site equipment will be operated in a manner such that noise impacts are minimized, wherever possible

  • All landfill construction equipment associated with the development, operation, or closure of the Site will comply with the noise levels outlined in applicable MOECC guidelines and technical standards.

  • To attenuate visual and noise impacts, the berm on the western Site boundary will be vegetated.

  • Waste will be compacted immediately after placement and spreading.

  • The comprehensive monitoring and maintenance program to address all aspects of landfill operation, including waste inspection and monitoring of landfill odour will be maintained.

  • Site haul roads will be constructed to minimize mud trackout and dust mitigation measures are employed on an as‑needed basis.



I smell an odour from the site. How do I report it?

The quickest and most efficient way to report an odour complain is by reporting it directly to the site. All complaints received are documented and reported to the MECP and the Public Liaison Committee.

On-site Office: 416-389-8876

Local MECP representative: 1-365-336-7491

MECP Spills Action: (800) 268-6060

Brooks Road Environmental (Corporate): 416-966-1100

Site Specific: (888) 402-7368



What is the site doing about odour and odour control?

Odour can come from many sources. Odour control systems and daily monitoring measures have been put in place to allow for the site to address potential issues off-site. A key part of reducing odour issues on site is to reduce the leachate levels as well as overall leachate generated on-site. This is achieved by increasing the effluent production (i.e. treat the leachate at the on-site facility), pump and truck leachate off-site if necessary as well as reducing leachate generation on-site with the placement of interim cover. This will reduce the amount of rainwater that comes in contact with the waste material and therefore reduce the amount of overall leachate generated.

In addition, Brooks Road has started to implement predictive application of odour control measures on weekends if the weather conditions are forecasted to be conducive to odour complaints. Brooks Road is committed to utilizing odour control products that show beneficial results. This includes a misting system was also put into place in 2019 to help mitigate odour as well as off-Site bench scale testing that utilizes specific bacteria that reduce the odour producing compounds in leachate.

Brooks Road has also put a priority on accepting more contaminated soil and have lowered the amount of IC&I waste.



What is an Environmental Assessment (EA) and what does it mean for the site?

In order to continue operations of the new site, Brooks Road sought approval from the Ministry of Environment, Conservation and Parks for a vertical expansion of the site in order to provide additional capacity for Industrial, Commercial and Institutional (IC&I) customers. The EA was approved in 2019.

For more information on the EA process, please visit the Environmental Assessment page of the website.



What is the Public Liaison Committee?

As part of the EA process, Brooks Road Landfill is required to maintain a Public Liaison Committee (PLC) to serve as a focal point for dissemination, review and exchange of information regarding operations at the site.

For more information on the PLC, publically available meeting minutes and information on how to become involved, please visit the PLC page of the website.