Joint Initiative

• Odour Action Plan
• Community Engagemnt Plan

Letter of Understanding v.2

1.0 Purpose

1.1 The purpose of this Letter of Understanding (LoU) is to create a common understanding between All Treat Farms Limited, the Township and the Ministry of the Environment regarding the development of solutions to the odour problems that periodically occur from the composting operations of All Treat Farms Limited and the Implementation of a Community Engagement Program.

2.0 Background

2.1 All Treat Farms is one of the largest compositing facilities in Ontario. Although composting is a major technique for the waste diversion goals of the province, the periodic swell of unpleasant odours during some of the composting operations is a problem and concern for local residents. This has resulted in an increase in the number of complaints by residents with All Treat Farms, the Township of Wellington North and the Guelph District Office of the Ministry of the Environment.
2.2 As a rural community, Arthur has a number of establishments and farming operations that also produce unpleasant odours but the public complaints are directed primarily at the All Treat Farms composting operations.
2.3 As a result of recent discussions between All Treat Farms and the Ministry of the Environment, a new initiative has been developed by All Treat Farms Limited, the Township and the Ministry of the Environment to involve the residents in a new program to solve the odour problems.

3.0 Agreement between three (3) Founding Partners

3.1 The three (3) Founding organizations (referred to as the Founders) are:

-All Treat FarmsLimited
- The Township of Wellington North
- The Ministry of the Environment - Guelph District Office
3.2 The Founders will jointly develop and implement this new initiative to address the odour problems that adversely affect the quality of life of the residents of Arthur
3.3 The Founders will jointly share responsibilities for managing the program. The Ministry of the Environment, as the regulatory agency responsible for the environmental legislation, must maintain an arms-length relationship within this group of Founders. The Ministry of the Environment will support these efforts in every way it can without jeopardizing its regulatory role in approving or rejecting changes to All Treat Farms permits and approvals.

4.0 The Program to address the Odour Problems in Arthur

The program will consist of two streams operating in a parallel fashion:

- Odour Action Plan
- Community Engagement Plan

4.1 The Odour Action Plan will focus on the most important odour sources:

- screening (leaves contributed to 59.3%)
- grinding yard wastes (21.9%)
- turning other operations,
- the wedge composting system used for yard wastes and leaves (10.6%)
- the GORE Cover System (2.9%) and, finally
- the raw materials receiving area which contributed least to odour emissions (0.6%)

- Further minimize odour emisions associated with the composting systems used at All Treat Farms by introducing better process and control in each system;
- Minimize and if necessary eliminate screening and other compost process activities on the site when the wind direction is from the south to reduce emission sources that the September '07 Zorix Odour Report defined as contributing most to the off-site odours experienced by residents;
- Install the Phase 2 of the GORE Cover System as soon as possible to increase the quantity of material treated by what the Zorix Odour Report verified as the technology on site which least contributed to odour emissions.
- Treat the most readily biodegradeable materials, which also contribute most directly to odour emmssions by the GORE Cover System process only and, finally
- Treat the more recalcitrant materials (ground wood, etc.) in the wedge composting system which was identified by the Zorix Odour Report as less effective in odour control

4.2 Community Engagement Plan (CEP)
The Community Engagement Plan is designed to involve and engage residents in the development, implementation and monitoring of the solutions to the odour problems. The Community Engagement Plan will involve the following:

- An Independent Public Facilitator (IPF) will be retained to design, implement and report on all aspects of the CEP. Although paid for by All Treat Farms, the IPF and his team will take their marching orders from the Founders. Ogilvie, Ogilvie & Company, a firm specializing in public consultation and conflict resolution, has been retained in this capacity.
- Community Outreach - research will be conducted to quantify the
community concerns about the odours and identify what they think should be done to solve the problem. This will be a confidential initiative undertaken by the independent Public Facilitator and his seasoned team of outreach pros. This will establish a "baseline" of public attitudes and opinions that will be used in the future to monitor and track changes in public opinion. It also provides an opportunity for us to describe the community engagement program and show that things are in the works to improve the situation.
- Establishment of an All Treat Farms Solutions Advisory Committee (ASAC) - The purpose of the ASAC is to bring together a cross-selection of individuals who represent 360 degrees of opinion solutions. It is NOT a grievance or complaint committee. The ASAC will act as a sounding-board whereby the Founders and their consultants can test idea, findings, potential solutions. In addition, the ASAC can provide the Founders with an on-going sense of the broader community's reactions and concerns and hose these might be addressed. The initial list of seats (18) at the ASAC table will include the following to be recruited by the IPF:
- 4 Residents-at-large
- 2 from Environmental and public safety
- 2 from business community
- 2 from agricultural sector
- 2 from the Township of Wellington North
- 2 from the Ministry of the Environment
- 2 from All Treat Farms
- 2 from Ogilvie, Ogilvie & Company
- Periodic Public Information Forums (PIFs) - There will be the need for one or two PIFs at strategic points in the process. These will be scheduled a bit later in the process, when the Founders can report that progress is being made and describe tangible activities/results. These PIFs will be open, transparent, fair and informed. Presentations and audience discussions are keyboarded in a live-time format so that participants can see the words up on a separate screen. This way participants know we are paying attention and value their comments.
- Facilitator's Independent Website- The IPF and his Team will design and maintain a project website as a complementary communication channel to the residents of Arthur and other stakeholders.

5.0 Timing of Implementation

5.1 The program is being developed to begin November 5, 2007 with a Presentation to the Wellington North Council

5.2 The Outreach program iwl begin later that week

5.3 Intent is to have the 1st session fo the ASAC before Christmas 2007

5.4 The contract with Ogilvie, Ogilvie & Company is until October, 2008

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