NSWC rejects facility tender

March 4, 2009

The deadline for tenders has come and gone, but there is still no plan in place to build a new solid waste facility.

Almost a year after the province committed $1 million to the construction of a new material recovery facility the Northumberland Solid Waste Commission only received one tender for the project.

Feb. 23 was the deadline and the commission board met Thursday to look over the bid and decide if they wanted to accept it.

Commission chair Lévis Savoie said the board rejected the proposal, but would not say why.

"I can't answer more than that."

In anticipation of media queries, the board prepared a statement for Savoie, but did not provide any details about their decision.

"The Northumberland Solid Waste Commission will continue to pursue other options as there were no compliant proposals received in response to our request for proposals for design, construction, and operation of the Northumberland Materials Recovery Facility," the statement read.

Envirem Technologies senior engineer Rod Fry confirmed his company submitted the one tender, but he didn't know why it was rejected.

"I don't have any other information."

Savoie said the board will decide how to proceed now that they have rejected the one tender.

"I don't know nothing before the next step."

The board is expected to meet again next month, but Savoie said he couldn't discuss any details of how they will proceed once they do meet.

"We're working on stuff that we can't release."

When the province announced its commitment to the facility last February, it included the use of renewable energy sources and compostable toilets to reduce its carbon footprint.

The intent was to design a facility that would divert organic waste from the landfill to large-scale composting facilities.

They anticipated the new facility would reduce greenhouse gas emissions by about 162,000 tonnes and would extend the current landfill's life by 22 per cent.

When they sent out their request for tenders, the commission was looking for two proposals. They were to consider options for a separate company to build and run the facility or to have a separate company just build the facility and the commission would operate it.

It is unclear if Envirem Technologies submitted tenders for both options.

Environment Department bioscience sector manager Mark Boldon said the province's solid waste commissions have some accountability to the province and have to submit reports.

"I believe an annual report has to be produced."

Each of the commissions also has to develop and follow a set of bylaws, he said.

"In essence what the regulations give them is a set of guidelines they have to follow."

Boldon said he didn't know if the commissions are required to disclose any information about tenders, but he did confirm they have to follow the guidelines set out under the provincial Public Purchasing Act.

"They have to follow the requirements under that."

The Northumberland Solid Waste Commission board is comprised of local officials who represent different areas around the county listed as follows:

Lévis Savoie - Village of Neguac

Scott Clowater - Upper Miramichi

Jocelyne Bourque - Village of Rogersville

Deputy Mayor Nancy Lordon - City of Miramichi

Elphège Sippley - Baie Ste Anne LSD

Hilda Robichaud - Fair Isle LSD

Jonathan Brennan - Village of Blackville

Charles Stewart - Village of Doaktown

Helen Ward-Wakelin - First Nations

Mike MacKenzie - Sunny Corner LSD