Chilliwack is moving closer to building a new methane extraction and landfill expansion project at the Bailey landfill site to reduce greenhouse gases.
Three of four applicants were shortlisted this week at city hall in a request for expressions of interest (RFEI) process for the Bailey Landfill Design-Build project.
Major renovations are planned for the $3.5 million project, including the expansion of the existing site on Bailey Road, building and running a "landfill gas management system," as well as a new leachate pump station, after the old one is decommissioned.
A series of pipes and wells will be installed in stages to collect the methane gas.
After approval by council Tuesday, the three firms will now be invited to submit design-build proposals in the upcoming request for proposals (RFP) stage.
Three applicants were chosen to move forward based on an evaluation committee's rankings based on set criteria such as financial means and technical experience.
The selected three include: Conestoga-Rovers & Associates (CRA)/Jacobs Brothers Golder Construction Inc./Golder Associates Ltd., and Strohmaier's Excavating Ltd.
The project cost was covered entirely by gas tax funds, and the province provided technical reviews to help expedite it. UBCM administers the tax fund in B.C., which the federal government funds nationally with $2 billion a year.
A trench network is going in at the site as part of the plan and that will see methane gas drawn into a pipe and then burned off in a process called "flaring" with the goal of substantially cutting greenhouse gas emissions.
"The preferred proponent will be responsible for the operations and maintenance of the gas extraction system for a two year period to ensure compliance with the performance standards. They will also be responsible for maximizing the potential for earning carbon credits," according to the staff report.
Following the submission of Design-Build RFP proposals from the three (3) finalists, the evaluation committee will review them and subsequently recommend the next steps to council.
At this point equipment and installation costs don't make it financially viable to capture and re-use the methane that will be extracted, but former MLA Barry Penner said it was a "big step" for Chilliwack nonetheless to get the technology, when the announcement was made last December.
Chilliwack will become one of only eight communities in B.C. with the technological ability to flare methane gas to reduce emissions.
jfeinberg@theprogress.com
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