On April 24, 2026, City staff shared an update that all approvals and agreements have been finalized to proceed with steps to close the Springhill Landfill in Osgoode, which is managed and operated by R.W. Tomlinson with the City responsible for regulatory compliance.
For background, waste disposal activities at Springhill were suspended in 2018 to address groundwater and surface water contamination concerns. In 2024, the City submitted two applications for Environmental Compliance Approvals (ECA) to the Province with a view to close the site. These applications sought approval to allow the site to receive excess soils from projects within city limits to exhaust the remaining landfill capacity, as well as to authorize the remedial action plan, including a final cover system, stormwater management system, and the closure plan for Springhill.
This marks an important milestone in the process of closing the Springhill Landfill for good.
I’ve met with staff and pulled together key information to help clarify the situation:
What are the steps needed to close the landfill?
The project involves placing excess soil to use up the remaining airspace at Springhill and installing an engineered final cover system over the landfill, as well as a new stormwater system to manage surface water. Once the project is done, the City will assume responsibility for the post-closure plan and future monitoring activities at the site, in perpetuity, as it does for the Nepean Landfill and sections of the Trail Waste Facility Landfill that are already capped and closed.
How long will this take?
It is expected to take 3-5 years total to fill up the site with excess soil, construct the stormwater management system, shape the site for proper drainage, cap and close the landfill.
When will this start?
Operations are expected to start now that the agreement is signed.
Where is this happening?
All activities will remain within the existing Springhill Landfill footprint (no expansion). Existing approved haul routes will be used.
What should nearby residents expect?
Approximately 25 trucks per day are estimated to visit the site. There is no garbage disposal at the site and as such no odours are expected.
Is there a cost to the City for this project?
The City and its contractors will pay tipping fees to dispose the excess soil which will be put toward the costs of the project. This is the same practice used at privately owned landfills, tip fees are charged for excess soil.
How have stakeholders been engaged?
Before the site was suspended, Tomlinson engaged the community via a Community Liaison Committee (CLC). Since the closure, the City published memos in June and September, 2024, detailing the plans and intent of the applications to the province. Additionally, residents within 500m of the site were provided a notice each time an application was submitted to the Province. Tomlison will be reestablishing a Community Laision Committee to engage local stakeholders until the site is closed.
What about risks associated with contamination?
There is no significant environmental impacts expected from landfilling the City’s excess soil. The project is designed to reduce environmental risk through a robust monitoring program as part of the operation of the site. Per the most recent report, annual testing shows that groundwater quality is not impacted by leachate originating from the landfill site.
Who do I contact if I have questions or concerns?
R.W. Tomlinson manages site operations and can be reached at customerservice@tomlinsongroup.com
Also, I invite you to reach out to my office (isabelle.skalski@ottawa.ca) so I can remain aware of and responsive to resident concerns.
The memo can be found here:
EN: https://ottawa.ca/en/memo-springhill-landfill-update-environmental-compliance-applications-and-operations-april-24-2026