Niagara garbage collection back on track
There is still some fallout from the great garbage pileup of 2017, but Emterra’s vice- president of Ontario operations is confident moving forward.
Garbage collection delays at Christmas and into the new year across the region left recycling boxes sitting at the curb for days in some areas. That development left residents frustrated and politicians hot under the collar with its waste collection contractor, Emterra.
“We had some fleet- related issues and some manpower issues, that, please excuse the pun, snowballed on us,” Graham Wathan of Emterra said. “We have a methodical plan and, with the full backing of the company, we will not only meet the needs but exceed them going forward,”
Catherine Habermebl, the Region’s director of waste management services, said a meeting was held with senior staff from Emterra to make sure everyone was aware of the challenges and issues.
“We formally put them on notice that they were in default of the contract,” Habermebl said. “We clearly outlined our expectations.
“I can confirm that since that meeting, they have hired an additional 14 staff that have started working on the contract as of last week and will be holding two additional job fairs over the coming weeks. They have also acquired one additional collection vehicle. They are bringing in two additional collection vehicles from their B. C. site.
“They are taking steps to resource the contract properly.”
Habermebl said she expects to have a full report for the next public works committee meeting Feb. 20.
“Emterra also asked for an exemption to the end time of the contract from 5 p. m. to 6: 30 p. m. to allow them to resource properly and serve the residents of Niagara properly. You will see them out there a bit later.
“We are monitoring things on a day- to- day basis. We have set up a weekly meeting with Emterra where we sit down and go through the performance metrics in the contract.”
Emterra has been the Region’s collection contractor for the past seven years.
Its current contract expires in March this year, but it has a clause allowing for an extension to 2019.
The Region recently signed a new contract with Emterra for two years, keeping the company on board for collection services until 2021.
“At this point we are meeting our contractual obligation,” Wathan said. “We are finishing on time. We have to deliver on the service, and that’s our intention. We are going to move forward in such a way that it doesn’t happen again.”