Mitch Murphy, Minister of Technology and Environment, announced that as of the three o'clock deadline, two proposals have been received from the private sector to become the company that will form the proposed new waste management utility.
"It will take our staff and consultants a number of weeks to evaluate the proposals according to predetermined criteria," said Mr. Murphy. "This is an important step in the future management of solid waste in the Province, so the process to verify each proposal has to be very methodical."
Proposals will initially be evaluated on the qualifications of the firms and individuals involved, the plans submitted, and financial capacity. Those proposals that pass these tests will then be scored based on the cost of the service to Islanders and the economic benefits that will be generated for Prince Edward Island.
"If the proposed bids are not in the best financial interest of Islanders, we will not be awarding a certificate-of-franchise to any company," said Mr. Murphy. "However, if the bids are acceptable, we will be the first jurisdiction to have a province-wide solid waste management utility. With the establishment of the Waste Watch program Island-wide, we will also be the first province to not only meet, but exceed, the objective for waste reduction set by the Canadian Council of Ministers of the Environment."
Any firm selected to form the new waste management utility will be required to apply for a full environmental impact assessment of the preferred location for a new waste management site. A 320-acre area in Tracadie Cross has been identified as the preferred site.
The Minister will be introducing a bill in the Legislative Assembly this autumn to enable creation of the waste management utility.