Appeal of DMS Metals Ltd. - Environmental Compliance Approval (air)

ERO number
019-2424
Notice stage
Appeal
Appeal posted
Last updated

Appeal summary

This decision is subject to a request to seek leave to appeal.

Appeal details

This notice is given by the applicant in accordance with section 47 of the Environmental Bill of Rights, 1993. The notice was prepared by the appellant and represents its position. It does not represent or reflect the views of the Government of Ontario, nor does the Government of Ontario make any representations about the accuracy of the content of this notice.

Mr. McGovern is seeking leave to appeal the issuance of the Environmental Compliance Approval (A-500-6097151023 Version 1.0) dated August 17, 2021 (the “ECA”) and published on the Environmental Registry on August 19, 2021.

Mr. McGovern requests this Tribunal grant leave to appeal the decision of the Director to issue the ECA. If successful in obtaining leave, Mr. McGovern will seek to have the Tribunal order the following relief:

  1. Revoke the ECA in its entirety; or
  2. Vary the decision of the Director by removing any approval or provision of the ECA related to the shredder including the conveyor system and related infrastructure thereby prohibiting the operation of the shredder. The specific elements of the ECA to be deleted include:
    1. In the description of the facilities, the reference to shredder
    2. In the description, the reference to shredder throughput
    3. Definition #41, “Shredder”
    4. Condition 7.1(b)

Grounds for application for leave to appeal

Mr. McGovern asserts that Director erred in issuing the ECA to permit the operation of the shredder and related equipment at the DMS facility (the “Site”). The shredder constantly causes excessive noise and regularly produces ground shaking explosions. Based upon the evidence of the many complainants to the MECP, the Director’s decision to issue the ECA was not reasonable in the circumstances.

In addition, the Director’s decision to require an acoustic audit after the issuance of the ECA was unreasonable as such an audit should have been performed prior to the issuance of the ECA, such that the actual noise levels at the receptors could be evaluated and necessary mitigation installed to ensure compliance will regulatory levels and the avoidance of any adverse effects.

Finally, the Director’s decision was unreasonable as compliance with the ECA would require non-compliance with other legal requirements (the Fire Code) or the DMS facility was not authorized under the applicable zoning and other laws.

Additional details can be found on the Ontario Lands Tribunal website.

Supporting materials

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Get in touch with the office listed below to find out if materials are available.

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Contact

More information, including hearing dates and locations can be provided by the appellate body. Additional information about the instrument appeal process, can be provided by the Ministry of the Environment, Conservation and Parks.

Environmental Review Tribunal
Attention: The Secretary
655 Bay Street
Floor 15
Toronto, Ontario
M5G 1E5
(416) 212-6349
(866) 448-2248
OLT.Registrar@ontario.ca

About the Environmental Review Tribunal


Ministry of the Environment, Conservation and Parks
Environmental Bill of Rights Office
40 St. Clair Ave. West
12th Floor
Toronto, ON
M4V 1M2

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Original decision

DMS Metals Ltd. - Environmental Compliance Approval (air)

Instrument type: Environmental Compliance Approval (air)

ERO number
019-2424
Ministry reference number
1000096457
Notice type
Instrument
Act
Environmental Protection Act, R.S.O. 1990
Posted by
Ministry of the Environment, Conservation and Parks
Notice stage
Decision Appeal
Decision posted
Comment period
September 17, 2020 - December 1, 2020 (75 days) Closed
Last updated

This consultation was open from:
September 17, 2020
to December 1, 2020

Decision summary

We have granted an Environmental Compliance Approval with Limited Operational Flexibility (air) for DMS Metals Ltd., a scrap metal recycling and processing facility located in Gormley, Ontario.

Location details

Site address

11967 Woodbine Avenue
Gormley, ON
L0H 1G0
Canada

Site location details

Gormley Scrap Yard

Site location map

The location pin reflects the approximate area where environmental activity is taking place.

View this location on a map opens link in a new window

Proponent(s)

DMS Metals Ltd.
11967 Woodbine Avenue
P.O. Box 91
Gormley, ON
L0H 1G0
Canada

Decision details

We have granted an Environmental Compliance Approval with Limited Operational Flexibility (air), which replaces all the current Environmental Compliance Approvals for Air at this facility, and includes the addition of new or historically unapproved sources for all emissions from DMS Metals Ltd., a scrap metal recycling and processing facility, located in Gormley, Ontario.

The approval is for all sources at the facility, including:

  • a metal parts shredder
  • a magnetic separation unit
  • an Eddy Current Separation Plant
  • a shear
  • fugitive emissions from onsite roads and storage piles
  • as well as other supporting processes at the site

Emissions to the air from this facility include:

  • iron
  • lead
  • benzene
  • cadmium
  • noise

The Environmental Compliance Approval with Limited Operational Flexibility (air) permits modifications to the facility subject to limits on operational flexibility that include a production limit for the facility to be specified on the Environmental Compliance Approval with Limited Operational Flexibility (air).

The limited operational flexibility conditions have an expiry date. The company will be required to make an application for amendment at that time to renew these conditions.

Comments received

Through the registry

16

By email

1

By mail

0
View comments submitted through the registry

Effects of consultation

A total of 17 comments were received by the ministry on this proposal. Comments received were reviewed and, where appropriate, were considered in the ministry’s decision whether or not to proceed with this proposal. The following concerns were raised:

  1. Concerns about noise / vibration due to shredder, explosions, banging / grinding noise and site hours of operation
     

    Ministry’s response:

    The noise emissions from the site are documented in the Acoustic Assessment Report submitted in support of the current application for the approval. The submitted noise report indicates that the site noise emissions with the recommended noise controls in place are in compliance with the applicable noise limits and thus, are not envisaged to cause an adverse effect at the nearby houses.

    The Environmental Compliance Approval includes conditions to limit the noise and vibration emissions of the site, restrict the site’s hours of operation and to audit the site noise emissions.


  2. Concerns about dust, odour and other air emissions from the shredder.
     

    Ministry’s response:

    The application has demonstrated that the operation of the facility complies with the ministry’s applicable air requirements including but not limited to the air discharge requirements in O. Reg. 419/05: Local Air Quality Regulation.

    The Environmental Compliance Approval includes an Operation and Maintenance condition to require the facility to implement operating procedures to minimize the emissions of dust and odour from the facility.

    A Dust Best Management Practices Plan was submitted as part of the application. Condition 8 has been included to require the company to implement the plan and update it.


  3. Concerns about:
     
    • municipal zoning/inappropriate land use
    • soil/water pollution
    • fires at the facility
    • light
    • use of back-beeper alarms
    • trucks on Woodbine Avenue
     

    Ministry’s response:

    These concerns are beyond the scope of s. 9 Environmental Protection Act and the air and noise application review process.

Supporting materials

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Some supporting materials may not be available online. If this is the case, you can request to view the materials in person.

Get in touch with the office listed below to find out if materials are available.

How to Appeal

This instrument decision can be appealed. You have 15 days from August 19, 2021 to begin the appeal process.

Carefully review the information below to learn more about the appeal process.

How to appealClick to Expand Accordion

For instrument decisions published on or after June 1, 2021, please refer to the updated instructions for information on how to appeal a decision.

Appeal process for decisions published before June 1, 2021

If you’re an Ontario resident, you can start the process to appeal this instrument decision.

First, you’ll need to seek leave (i.e. get permission) from the relevant appellate body to appeal the decision.

If the appellate body grants leave, the appeal itself will follow.

Seek leave to appeal

To seek leave to appeal, you need to do these three things:

  1. prepare your application
  2. provide notice to the minister
  3. mail your application to three parties

1. Prepare your application

You’ll need to prepare an application. You may wish to include the following things in your application:

  1. A document that includes:
    • your name, phone number, fax number (if any), and/or email address
    • the ERO number and ministry reference number (located on this page)
    • a statement about whether you are a resident in Ontario
    • your interest in the decision, and any facts you want taken into account in deciding whether you have an interest in the decision
    • the parts of the instrument that you’re challenging
    • whether the decision could result in significant harm to the environment
    • the reason(s) why you believe that no reasonable person – having regard to the relevant law and to any government policies developed to guide decisions of that kind – could have made the decision
    • the grounds (facts) you’ll be using to appeal
    • the outcome you’d like to see
  2. A copy of the instrument (approval, permit, order) that you you are seeking leave to appeal. You’ll find this in the decision notice on the Environmental Registry
  3. Copies of all supporting documents, facts and evidence that you’ll be using to appeal
What is considered

The appeal body will consider the following two questions in deciding whether to grant you leave to appeal:

  1. is there is good reason to believe that no reasonable person, with respect to the relevant law and to any government policies developed to guide decisions of that kind, could have made the decision?
  2. could the decision you wish to appeal result in significant harm to the environment?

2. Provide your notice

You’ll need to provide notice to the Minister of the Environment, Conservation and Parks that you’re seeking leave to appeal.

In your notice, please include a brief description of the:

  • decision that you wish to appeal
  • grounds for granting leave to appeal

You can provide notice by email at minister.mecp@ontario.ca or by mail at:

College Park 5th Floor, 777 Bay St.
Toronto, ON 
M7A 2J3

3. Mail your application

You’ll need to mail your application that you prepared in step #1 to each of these three parties:

  • appellate body
  • issuing authority (the ministry official who issued the instrument)
  • proponent (the company or individual to whom the instrument was issued)

Issuing authority
Miroslav Ubovic
Manager

Environmental Permissions Branch
135 St. Clair Avenue West, 1st Floor
Toronto, ON
M4V 1P5
Canada

437-216-7610

Proponent(s)

DMS Metals Ltd.
11967 Woodbine Avenue
P.O. Box 91
Gormley, ON
L0H 1G0
Canada


Appellate body

Environmental Review Tribunal
Attention: The Secretary
655 Bay Street
Floor 15
Toronto, Ontario
M5G 1E5
(416) 212-6349
(866) 448-2248
OLT.Registrar@ontario.ca

About the Environmental Review Tribunal


Include the following:

ERO number
019-2424
Ministry reference number
1000096457

This is not legal advice. Please refer to the Environmental Bill of Rights for exact legal requirements. Consult a lawyer if you need help with the appeal process.

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Original proposal

ERO number
019-2424
Ministry reference number
1000096457
Notice type
Instrument
Act
Environmental Protection Act, R.S.O. 1990
Posted by
Ministry of the Environment, Conservation and Parks
Proposal posted

Comment period

September 17, 2020 - December 1, 2020 (75 days)

Proposal details

This proposal is for an Environmental Compliance Approval with Limited Operational Flexibility (Air), which replaces all the current Environmental Compliance Approvals for Air at this facility, and includes the addition of new or historically unapproved sources for all emissions from DMS Metals Ltd., a scrap metal recycling and processing facility, located in Gormley, Ontario.

The application is for all sources at the facility, including:

  • a metal parts shredder
  • a magnetic separation unit
  • an Eddy Current Separation Plant
  • a shear
  • fugitive emissions from onsite roads and storage piles
  • as well as other supporting processes at the site

Emissions to the air from this facility include iron, lead, benzene, cadmium, and noise.

The Environmental Compliance Approval with Limited Operational Flexibility (Air), when issued, permits modifications to the facility subject to limits on operational flexibility that include a production limit for the facility to be specified on the Environmental Compliance Approval with Limited Operational Flexibility (Air).

The limited operational flexibility conditions have an expiry date. The company will be required to make an application for amendment at that time to renew these conditions.

Supporting materials

View materials in person

Some supporting materials may not be available online. If this is the case, you can request to view the materials in person.

Get in touch with the office listed below to find out if materials are available.

Comment

Commenting is now closed.

This consultation was open from September 17, 2020
to December 1, 2020

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