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WHITBY, ON – The Regional Municipalities of Durham and York are pleased to report the Acceptance Test
Certificate has been issued for the Durham York Energy Centre (DYEC).

After the December 2015 decision not to issue the Acceptance Test Certificate—due to marginal exceedances in (ash) Residue Quantity—Covanta activated the dispute resolution process, contending that the addition of cement, pozzolan and water to the fly ash should not have been included in the calculations of Residue Quantity. The addition of these substances to the fly ash creates a fly ash which has been demonstrated to be nonhazardous and decreases its environmental impact. The Ministry of the Environment and Climate Change (MOECC) has also tested and approved of this process.

In recognition of the environmental benefits associated with this encapsulation process, and that the additional
weight of the reagents adds to the residue quantity calculations, staff recommended the Residue Quantity limits be revised in the Project Agreement with Covanta. This recommendation was approved by Durham Regional Council on Jan. 27. The ash Residue Quantity Guarantee was revised from 30 per cent to 35 per cent.

“The Durham York Energy Centre has proven it can meet the strongest emission standards in the world in addition to the strict requirements mandated by the Province of Ontario,” says Roger Anderson, Regional Chair and Chief Executive Officer for Durham Region. “Now that the project is about to enter the operation phase, we are moving forward with a local, long-term solution to manage Durham’s waste.”

“This is a win-win situation, there is no financial impact to the Regions for this project agreement change and there are obvious environmental benefits with conditioning the fly ash,” explained Cliff Curtis Commissioner of Works.

The Acceptance Test reports are posted on the DYEC project website for review at www.durhamyorkwaste.ca.
Environmental reports, as well as a comprehensive overview of the facility and answers to frequently asked
questions are also available online.

The DYEC can process up to 140,000 tonnes of household waste each year, with 110,000 tonnes allocated to the Region of Durham and 30,000 tonnes allocated to York Region.

Durham Region’s portion of project funding is through the federal Gas Tax Fund. For more information on the
Durham York Energy Centre, visit www.durhamyorkwaste.ca, call 1-800-667-5671, or email info@durhamyorkwaste.ca.

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Media inquiries:
THE REGIONAL MUNICIPALITY OF DURHAM:
Durham Region Corporate Communications
CorporateCommunications@durham.ca