6.

Composter Detailed Plan and Plan of Action

Recommendation
1. That the April 23, 2018, Integrated Infrastructure Services report CR_5306, be
received for information.

2. That Attachment 1 of the April 23, 2018, Integrated Infrastructure

Services report CR_5306 remain private pursuant to section 27 of the ​
Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy Act.

3. That Attachment 2 of the April 23, 2018, Integrated Infrastructure

Services report CR_5306 remain private pursuant to section 24(1)(a)
(Advice from Officials) of the Freedom of Information and Protection of
Privacy Act.
Previous Council/Committee Action
At the October 31, 2017, Utility Committee meeting, the following motion was passed
under Item 6.4:

That Administration provide a report on the condition of the composter including

the cause of failure, a detailed plan of action for the repairs of the composter if
required and a plan of action to manage compost in the future as part of the
waste strategy.

Executive Summary
The Aeration Hall Building of the Edmonton Composting Facility (ECF) was temporarily
closed on October 26, 2017, following proactive and escalating investigations into
ongoing structural issues.

Administration investigated numerous options for short and medium-term remediation

and/or repair of the Aeration Hall Building but these options are not recommended for
different reasons, mostly safety and financial considerations. Administration
recommends the following plan of action for the ECF, in alignment with the overall
strategy for disposal of organic waste, as detailed in CR_5184 Waste Management
Strategy Update:

1. Maintain temporary closure of the ECF throughout the winter of 2018.

2. Conduct a structural review and scan of the Aeration Hall Building in the spring
of 2018 to assess any deterioration of the structure and determine if the ECF is

ROUTING - Utility Committee | DELEGATION - A. Laughlin / J. Meliefste / P.Ladouceur

April 23, 2018 – Integrated Infrastructure Services CR_5306
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 Composter Detailed Plan and Plan of Action

in a suitable condition for seasonal occupancy (spring to fall). Based on the

result of the structural assessment, either reopen the ECF in spring of 2018 or
initiate planning to demolish the Aeration Hall Building.

3. Continue strategy development of the long-term replacement of the ECF. The

completed business case will be presented in 2018 for Council consideration.

Report
The Aeration Hall Building of the Edmonton Composting Facility (ECF) was temporarily
closed on October 26, 2017, following proactive and escalating investigations into
ongoing structural issues.

The ECF was purpose-built as the largest co-composter in North America by TransAlta
in the late 1990’s and started operation in 2000. The entire complex is roughly the size
of eight football fields, three of which is the Aeration Hall Building. The building was
designed for a 30-year life span and it is Administration's understanding that
maintenance was performed by the waste services contractor at regular intervals.

TransAlta announced the sale of the facility shortly after the start of production. City
Council approved the purchase in May and the City assumed ownership of the ECF in
June 2001.

Administration commissioned a structural engineering consultant to inspect the

Aeration Hall Building at the ECF starting with the structural columns and eventually
inspecting the entire roof structure. The consultant’s final report was issued in
September 2017, and recommended closure of the Aeration Hall Building due to its
poor condition.

Plan of action for remediation

The action plan for remediating the existing Aeration Hall Building aligns with the
following considerations: (1) the overall strategy for disposal of organic waste, as
proposed in CR_5184 Waste Management Strategy Update; (2) long-term strategy for
the ECF building and technology; and (3) overall condition of the building and the
equipment.

In August 2017, Administration initiated the development of the long-term strategy for
the ECF building and technology. A consulting team has been contracted to support

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 Composter Detailed Plan and Plan of Action

the development of a strategic direction for the long term plan for the ECF, considering
the age of the equipment and building, possible changes in the amount and type of
organic waste collected, possible changes to regulations, and technological
developments. The consultant’s report is expected in July 2018.

Administration recommends the following action plan for the ECF:

1. Maintain temporary closure of the facility through winter.

2. Assess any potential further deterioration of the structure over the past 2017/18
winter and determine if the Aeration Hall Building is in suitable condition for
seasonal occupancy (spring to fall). Based on the result of the structural
assessment, either reopen the ECF in spring 2018 or initiate planning for the
demolition of the Aeration Hall Building.

3. Continue strategy development of the long-term replacement of the ECF. The

completed business case will be presented in Fall 2018 for Utility Committee
consideration.

The following ​short-term​ mitigation options to keep snow from accumulating on the
roof were investigated. None of these options were recommended due to safety
concerns and high costs:

1) Engineered Solutions; this includes a combination of heating the attic space

with heaters, heating the roof with glycol lines, and using waste heat from the
composting processes.

2) Operational Enhancements; this includes bringing in a supplemental labour

force on standby to clear the roof of any snow accumulation.

3) Demolition; the removal of the pre-engineered building would eliminate the risk
completely. Consideration must be given to maintain the North Download
building (NDL), attached to the main pre-engineered building and required for
the operation of the new Anaerobic Digester Facility.

Through the structural investigation, a baseline of the Aeration Hall Building

structural condition was established before winter. In the spring, a similar scan
will be completed again and compared to the baseline. The results will assist in
determining if the facility is in suitable condition for short term, seasonal
occupancy.

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 Composter Detailed Plan and Plan of Action

Furthermore, Administration investigated the following ​medium-term​ mitigation options.

None of these options were recommended due to safety concerns and significant
capital investment required to proceed with a temporary option not aligned with the
long term strategy.

1. Internal structural steel support structure - In this option a support structure

would be installed on the interior of the building.

2. Construction of a temporary enclosure - The width of the temporary enclosures

could not reach the same spans as the existing facility, and therefore this option
would require demolition of the existing facility and installation of a series of new
temporary prefabricated structures to cover the same area.

4. External structural steel support structure - This option would consist in erecting
a pre-engineered shell over the current structure to provide protection against
external live load implications, such as snow accumulation.

Infrastructure Strategy

Administration has recently updated its Infrastructure Strategy, which, at the time of
writing this report, is scheduled to be presented to Executive Committee on March 12,
2018 (CR_5401).

The strategy will help to ensure that maintenance activities, renewal or rehabilitation
activities, replacement activities, disposal activities, and growth or enhancement
activities are aligned with the City’s goals and public demand for services. It will also
provide guidance on the development of risk/cost/value decision making processes,
and stress the importance of integration across asset types and organizational units,
and the value of sustained, measured asset assessment programs.

Implementation of the Infrastructure Strategy will mitigate the potential of similar

occurrences by proactively addressing potential risks before they become an issue
impacting service delivery.

The monitoring of service performance will enable the City to demonstrate

transparency and accountability in relation to service provision. This will be augmented
and accomplished by periodic monitoring of the condition and performance of the
asset base to identify defects, deficiencies, and concerns and initiate proactive action

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 Composter Detailed Plan and Plan of Action

to treat the risk before it impacts on customers and other stakeholders. Two types of
assessments will be employed: (i) low-cost annual visual inspections; and (ii)
specialized, higher cost, inspections done every four to five years. The outcome of
these assessments will provide sufficient detail to clearly define the work required to
address identified deficiencies; and contributes to the development and
implementation of a remedial strategy. These approaches contribute to a better regime
of asset health monitoring and as a consequence allow the corporation to proactively
address emerging asset risks before it impacts city operations and our customers.

Legal Implications

Pursuant to the ​Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy Act​, it is

recommended that the attachments of this report remain in private:

● Attachment 1 constitutes legal advice pursuant to section 27 of the ​Freedom of

Information and Protection of Privacy Act​. Attachment 1 will not be reviewed for
potential release by the City’s Delegated FOIP Head.
● Attachment 2 includes constitutes advice, proposals, recommendations,
analyses developed by the City of Edmonton, pursuant to section 24(1)(a) of the
Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy Ac​t. Attachment 2 will be
reviewed for potential release by the City’s Delegated FOIP Head in January
2019.

Corporate Outcomes and Performance Management

Corporate Outcome(s): The City of Edmonton has sustainable and accessible

infrastructure

Outcome(s) Measure(s) Result(s) Target(s)

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 Composter Detailed Plan and Plan of Action

The City of Edmonton Edmontonians’ 67% (2016) 70% (2016)

has sustainable and Assessment:
accessible infrastructure Access to
Amenities and
Services that
Improve
Quality of Life
(percent of
survey
respondents
who
agree/strongly
agree)

Corporate Outcome(s): The City of Edmonton’s operations are environmentally

sustainable

The City of Edmonton’s Community 16,868,261 (2016) Downward

operations are Greenhouse Trend
environmentally Gas (Tonnes
sustainable of carbon
dioxide
equivalents)

Attachments
1. Legal Implications - PRIVATE
2. Additional Information - PRIVATE

Others Reviewing this Report

● T. Burge, Chief Financial Officer and Deputy City Manager, Financial and
Corporate Services
● C. Campbell, Deputy City Manager, Communications and Engagement
● D. Jones, Deputy City Manager, City Operations

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