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Environmental Resource Recovery Centre

The County of Simcoe adopted a Solid Waste Management Strategy in 2010 that provides the framework for the County’s waste disposal options and diversion programs. Guided by the Strategy, and following further recommendations from Council, the County initiated a siting process in 2014 to identify a site for the development of an Organics Processing Facility (OPF) for the long-term processing of source-separated organics (SSO).  The siting process was subsequently expanded to also identify a site for the development of a Materials Management Facility (MMF) for the transfer of garbage, recyclables, and SSO.  Collectively, these facilities are referred to as the Environmental Resource Recovery Centre (ERRC).

Following an extensive site evaluation process , which considered 502 candidate sites, County Council selected the property located at 2976 Horseshoe Valley Road in the Township of Springwater within Lot 2, Concession 1, as the preferred site.  The subject lands are approximately 84 hectares (207.6 acres) in size and the approximate footprint of the ERRC is estimated at 4.5 hectares (11.12 acres).  

The County is proposing to amend its Official Plan to facilitate the development of the ERRC.  Other related planning applications (Official Plan Amendment & Zoning Bylaw Amendment) have also been submitted to the Township of Springwater and are currently subject to the Township’s planning review process.  More specific information on the proposed planning amendments can be found in the Planning Justification Report listed below. 

Project Update

Ontario Land Tribunal Decision – June 15, 2022​
Ontario Land Tribunal Decision – January 25, 2022

Statement from County of Simcoe Warden George Cornell​

We applaud the decision by the Ontario Land Tribunal which is an important step forward in the process to develop the County’s Environmental Resource Recovery Centre (ERRC).

Siting a waste facility will always be a challenging process; however, this decision validates the significant planning, engineering, environmental and scientific studies/evaluation that went into the selection of this rural site located on Horseshoe Valley Road in a small section of the County’s Freele Forest Tract.

As this project started in 2016, the urgent need to create local organics processing and materials management capacity has increased. County landfills are reaching capacity, our population is increasing, as a society we’re producing more waste, the costs of outsourcing and contracting waste services is rising and investment in diversion and organics programs are becoming a necessity.

This is an important decision; however as the Tribunal pointed out, further approvals and processes are required from multiple levels of government before the project can proceed. We look forward to working with these, and with interested members of the public, going forward.

About the project:

  • Located in a rural area with distance from community developments: The buildings and infrastructure will take up just 5 per cent of the 207-acre Freele Tract County-owned property, with 95 per cent of the forest and trees remaining untouched to provide additional buffers. The County is committed to seeing that the trees that have been removed will be compensated for. The facility footprint avoids environmental impacts to ground water and surface water features and is not located on prime agricultural land.  The site is also centrally located in the county with strong access to local and regional road networks.
  • Supporting the local economy: The development of the ERRC will create more than 100 direct and indirect local jobs in construction, the trades and solid waste management, and will save taxpayers approximately $1.6 million per year in waste transfer and haulage costs. End products such as fertilizers will be sold to the local agricultural sector.
  • Helping the environment: The Province has set aggressive targets of 70 per cent food waste reduction by 2023. The ERRC will support these goals while also assisting the County with its own diversion targets, with a design capacity of 30,000 tonnes per year. Currently, the County hauls organic green bin materials to a processing facility in Elmira each day. The County is currently travelling 3600km/week trucking organics for processing. The Tribunal decision recognized that the ERRC will reduce greenhouse gas emissions from currently hauling organic materials outside the County and save costs long term.

LPAT Appeal

The Ministry has received three appeals to its Decision to approve County Official Plan Amendment No. 2 (ERRC).   The LPAT will need to confirm that all of the Notices of Appeal are valid, assign a LPAT Case and File Number and case coordinator.  This page will be updated when this information is received.

CCW 2019-058

Schedule 1 to CCW 2019-058 – Location Map

Schedule 2 to CCW 2019-058 – MMAH Decision

Schedule 3 to CCW 2019-058 – Appeals

Notice of Decision

Ministry of Municipal Affairs and Housing Cover Letter

Signed Decision including Ministry Modifications

2018-2019 Groundwater Monitoring Update

Compensation Planting Plan

Notice of Adoption

OPA No. 2

Adopting By-law No. 6754

Planning Staff Report – CCW 2018-320

Schedule 1 to CCW 2018-320

Schedule 2 to CCW 2018-320

Schedule 3 to CCW 2018-320

Schedule 4 to CCW 2018-320

Appendices of Schedule 4 to CCW 2018-320

Schedule 5 to CCW 2018-320

Schedule 6 to CCW 2018-320

Schedule 7 to CCW 2018-320

Schedule 8 to CCW 2018-320

Schedule 9 to CCW 2018-320

Schedule 10 to CCW 2018-320

Schedule 11 to CCW 2018-320

In response to agency and public comments, the County Planning Department has received updated studies/addendums in support of the proposed amendment.  A cover letter is provided for each describing the reasoning for additional or amended documentation.  For reference, summary tables are also provided outlining agency comments received. 

The following documents have been provided in support of the applications:


    1. Amended Planning Justification Report prepared by GHD dated February 2018

    1. Amended Scoped Environmental Impact Study prepared by GHD dated February 1, 2018

    1. Amended Facilities Characteristic Report prepared by GHD dated February 1, 2018

    1. Updated Hydrogeological Assessment prepared by GHD dated February 1, 2018

    1. Geotechnical Investigation prepared by GHD dated November 30, 2017

    1. Traffic Impact Study Addendum prepared by MMM Group dated October 2017

    1. Updated Cultural Heritage Resource Assessment: Built Heritage Resources and Cultural Heritage Landscapes​ prepared by ASI revised December 2019

    1. Letter from GHD dated November 29, 2017 providing correspondence from the Ministry of Tourism, Sport and Culture confirming acceptance of Stage 3 Site Specific Archaeological Assessment dated July 12, 2017


The following plans, reports and studies – as outlined in a cover letter prepared by GHD for the County of Simcoe – have been prepared in support of the applications:


    1. Locational Plan prepared by GHD Limited dated November 17, 2016

    1. Conceptual Site Plan Figure 3.1 prepared by GHD Limited dated November 15, 2016;

    1. Planning Justification Report prepared by GHD Limited dated November 17, 2016;

    1. Scoped Environmental Impact Study prepared by GHD Limited dated November 17, 2016 (includes Hazard Lands Assessment);

    1. Agricultural Impact Assessment Report for the Proposed Environmental Resource Recovery Centre (ERRC) prepared by AgPlan Limited dated November 16, 2016;

    1. Facility Characteristics Report prepared by GHD Limited dated November 17, 2016 (includes Stormwater Management, Noise & Odour, Functional Servicing components);

    1. Cultural Heritage Resource Assessment: Built Heritage Resources and Cultural Heritage Landscapes, Existing Conditions – Impact Assessment prepared by ASI Archaeological & Cultural Heritage Services dated August 2016 (Revised November 2016);

    1. Stage 1 & 2 Archaeological Assessment Simcoe Environmental Resource Recovery Centre prepared by ASI Archaeological & Cultural Heritage Services dated November 16, 2016;

    1. Ontario Public Register of Archaeological Reports – Stage 3

    1. Stage 3 Site Specific Assessment Simcoe Environmental Resource Recovery Centre Gribbin Site (BdGw-49) ORIGINAL REPORT prepared by ASI Archaeological & Cultural Heritage Services dated November 11, 2016;

    1. Stage 3 Site Specific Assessment Simcoe Environmental Resource Recovery Centre Gribbin Site (BdGw-49) SUPPLEMENTARY DOCUMENTATION prepared by ASI Archaeological & Cultural Heritage Services dated November 11, 2016;

    1. Traffic Impact Study prepared by MMM Group dated November 2016;

    1. Hydrogeological Assessment Environmental Resource Recovery Centre (ERRC) prepared by GHD Limited dated November 15, 2016;

    1. Summary of Consultation and Notification (to December 2016).

    1. Buffer Distances (100m intervals)

    1. Draft Official Plan Amendment

    1. Project Update Staff Report CCW-17-174 (June 13, 2017)


In accordance with Section 17(15) of the Planning Act, the County will circulate relevant information to prescribed public bodies, government ministries, regulatory authorities and Aboriginal communities, for their review and comment.

The County of Simcoe held the statutory public meeting on May 9, 2017. Comments received from members of the public and agencies to date are posted below.  Further public and agency comments will be added from time to time. 

Contact Information

Questions regarding the applications and/or the forthcoming Planning process can be e-mailed directly to the County's Planning Department at errc@simcoe.ca  or by contacting Customer Service at (705) 735-6901.