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Regional Waste Management Areas

Res #: 31-01M
Number: 31
Year: 2001
Midterm: Yes
Expired: Yes
Responses Received: No
Departments: Saskatchewan Environment

Resolution No. 31-01M

WHEREAS, Saskatchewan Environment and Resource Management is encouraging the establishment of Regional Waste Management Areas, in an attempt to eliminate municipal waste disposal grounds; and

WHEREAS, many areas in the Province are conducting studies to facilitate the establishment of Regional Waste Management Areas, and are finding that the start up costs are prohibitive; and

WHEREAS, the Province funded the Regional Waste Management Area at Humboldt (REACT) as a pilot project at 80% of the cost, and the program was extremely successful;

THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED, that the SARM lobby the Provincial Government to implement a program to fund the establishment of Regional Waste Management Areas throughout the Province at a rate similar to the REACT Program.

Response from Saskatchewan Environment and Resource Management:

The "Municipal Solid Waste Management Assistance Program" (MSWMAP) was initiated in 1992 in response to the recommendations by urban and rural municipal representatives at the "Landfill Meetings." Two regional pilot projects were funded with 50% dollars for capital expenditures as test cases (1) to determine if regional solid waste management in Saskatchewan is feasible and, (2) to provide a template for future regional waste management systems. A relatively large amount of $1.5 million was provided to the two pilot projects to protect participating municipalities in the possible event that a major unforeseen setback occurred and with the expectation that all urban and rural municipalities would benefit from the experiences of the pilot projects.

An evaluation of MSWMAP revealed that it is feasible to develop regional waste management systems without additional provincial funding. In addition, the Centenary Fund was initiated in 2000/01 to prepare Saskatchewan for its 100th Anniversary in 2005. New funding totaling $2.3 million over four years was set aside in the Centenary Fund which provides municipalities added assistance to establish regional waste management authorities using the successes and shortcomings learned from the MSWMAP pilot projects.

Although this funding will be expiring, Saskatchewan Environment and Resource Management believes it is still feasible to develop regional waste management areas without additional provincial funding.

 

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