September 27, 2013, Toronto, Ont. – Using more recycled
aggregates in public works projects in Ontario could be coming now that Bill
56, The Aggregate Recycling Promotion Act, has received second reading in the
Legislature.
September 27, 2013, Toronto, Ont. – Using more recycled
aggregates in public works projects in Ontario could be coming now that Bill
56, The Aggregate Recycling Promotion Act, has received second reading in the
Legislature.
The Private Member’s Bill, by Dufferin-Caledon MPP Sylvia Jones,
passed second reading with the support of many Conservative colleagues, as well
as Liberals and NDP members. The Bill
will be sent on to Committee for debate and public consultation before being
submitted back to the Legislature.
If enacted, Bill 56 would encourage municipalities and
public agencies, such as Infrastructure Ontario and Metrolinx, to utilize more
recycled aggregates in their construction projects by requiring that public
agencies not reject a bid from a contractor just because they propose to use
recycled aggregates. It compels municipalities that prefer to use primary
aggregates from pits and quarries to provide solid rationale why recycled
aggregates are not being considered.
Passing second reading was good news to Aggregate Recycling
Ontario Executive Director Brian Messerschmidt, who has been supportive of the
Bill. “There are large growing stockpiles of aggregates that have been
recovered from construction projects throughout the province that are currently
not being utilized in new construction due to a systemic bias against recycled
products,” he said. “Getting this Bill before Committee for further study and
final approval will help educate road engineers that there is nothing wrong
with specifying recycled aggregates that meet required specifications because
they are as good as primary or newly produced aggregates,” he added.
Ontario’s Ministry of Transportation and some municipalities,
such as Toronto and the Region of York, have been significant users of recycled
aggregate in the past. If adopted Bill 56 will require other municipalities to
follow their lead.
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