The Voice - Summer 2021 - 50

INDUSTRY
Why is excess soil management
important?
Excess soil generation is inevitable during most construction
projects. It is estimated that up to 25 million m3 of excess soil is
generated in Ontario annually. Excavated soil should be reused
within the project area wherever possible. However, this is not
always an option, and excess soil often needs to be removed from
the project area. For example, in a study by OSPE and partners,
Excess Soil Management: Ontario is Wasting a Precious Resource,
a survey of 24 construction projects showed that over 75% of
projects reported more than 100 one-way trips to dispose of excess
soil, averaging almost 65 kilometres. It was estimated these trips
emitted more than 340 tonnes of CO₂. Clearly, any measure to
reduce these distances benefits the environment.
Indeed, management of excess soil has frequently been an
afterthought associated with construction projects. A lack of a
proactive plan to deal with excess soil often results in an increase
in project time and cost. Improper placement of excess soil can
cause adverse impacts to people and the environment. Conversely,
sending relatively good quality soil to landfill is not an efficient
use of Ontario's soil resources, nor our limited landfill capacity.
Proper re-use of excess soils makes economic sense. The Excess
Soil study mentioned above found that the average savings would
be 13% (or almost $1.8 million) for each project if excavated soil
had been reused for all 24 projects. This would generate a savings
of almost $43 million. Proper soil reuse would also save the
government at least 9% of total costs in infrastructure projects. In
2016, when the study was conducted, the Ontario government had
pledged $160 billion over 12 years to infrastructure development.
A 9% savings would amount to over $14 billion - a huge amount
of savings that if implemented now could be used for COVID-19
recovery.
To promote the safe and beneficial reuse of excess soil,
the MECP developed new regulations, with input from key
stakeholders, including OSPE. The MECP announced the On-Site
and Excess Soil Management Regulation (O. Reg. 406/19) and
accompanying rules in 2019, with several amendments made in
2020. The intention is that with proper planning, excess soil will
be beneficially reused at an appropriate reuse site, only going to
landfill as a last resort.
One potential beneficial reuse of excess soil is to rehabilitate
pits and quarries. In other words, filling cavities left by aggregate
extraction and reclaiming land for future use (e.g., to recreate
wildlife habitat, reclaim space for recreation, or development).
There are more than 6,000 active pits and quarries in Ontario.
Pits and quarries are typically located close to urban areas
to reduce transportation costs, and many pits and quarries
contemplate some form of backfill as a component of their site
reclamation plans. Use of excess soil to reclaim pits and quarries
can transform an aesthetically undesirable landscape into a
desirable one, promote highest and best use of land resources at
the end of an aggregate pit/quarry's life, and reduce the hauling
distance for beneficial reuse of soil- which is climate positive.
Through the regulation, associated rules, and other standards,
practices and concepts are instituted that can benefit pit and
quarry operations for rehabilitation. The documents developed by
OSPE set forth guidance and recommendations for stakeholders
to consider when using excess soil for this rehabilitation.
A comprehensive list of topics associated with excess soil
management in quarries and pits is discussed.
VISIT US ON THE WEB
To view and download the Scientific Report and Best
Management Practices, please visit:
https://ospe.on.ca/excess-soil-reports/
50
THE VOICE June 2021
http://rlb.com https://ospe.on.ca/excess-soil-reports/
The Voice - Summer 2021

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