Delandfill: Reclaiming Ontario's Closed Landfill Sites

Abstract

There are over one thousand closed ‘small’ landfills in Ontario, each with differing circumstances and potential problems. This project proposes a method of addressing such dormant sites in situ, based upon a case study in Hamilton. Of the four closed landfills within Hamilton city limits, three of them lie in the low lands of the Red Hill Creek Valley. Perched at the source of the Red Hill Creek, the Upper Ottawa Street Landfill introduces unspoken toxins into the ecosystem of the entire valley. As the storm water catchment for the escarpment watershed, the creek serves a critical role in the recreational green belt which divides Hamilton and Stoney Creek. The source of this creek must be celebrated, not fenced off from public access due to landfill hazards. This proposal investigates beyond material recovery, into the possibilities of resource, ecosystem, and community recovery. Landfill mining, material sorting, and power generation through incineration are employed to reduce landfill volume. As the landfill is consumed, a new landscape is constructed, providing improved flood-prevention at the creek and a sanitary lined landfill for those materials remaining on site. Creek, forest, and field habitats are restored on site without the threat of contamination from landfill contents. The public can safely view the landfill mining operations from an elevated walkway, having new experiences with every visit. As the boundaries of the closed landfill are stripped away, the source of the Red Hill Creek and the new recreational parkland are made publicly accessible. Using this design as a reference, the equipment and operations designed for this site can be developed into a province-wide proposal.