Renewable natural gas produced by organic material disposed of at the GFL Moose Creek Landfill Site in North Stormont could soon be fed into the larger Enbridge natural gas system if a proposal to construct a pipeline from the landfill site to Casselman goes ahead.
Enbridge Gas Ontario is proposing a project which would involve the construction of steel pipelines six and eight inches in diameter which would follow existing public rights of way on private land. They would connect the landfill, located south of Highway 417 near the Highway 138 interchange with an Enbridge pipeline located beside where Principale Street/County Road 3 crosses the South Nation River in Casselman. The approximate distance of the proposed pipeline is 13.2 kilometres/8.2 miles.
The proposed, preferred route of the pipeline is to have it cross underneath Highway 417 just west of the truck inspection station and follow a dead-end road north to the intersection of County Road 8 and County Road 3. From there, the pipeline would follow County Road 3 into Casselman and then follow Brebeuf Street to Montcalm Street where it would continue to Principale Street/County Road 3 to the connection point near the river. Alternative routes also have the pipeline crossing Highway 417 and following Gagne Sideroad to County Road 3 or following Route 700 to St. Albert Road/County Road 7 near the Ford warehouse, crossing Highway 417 and following Principale Street to the connection point.
A second, shorter connecting pipeline for the project is also proposed for along Bank Street/Highway 31 in the Greely area of Ottawa.
On Tuesday, April 15, Enbridge and consulting firm AECOM held a public information session at the J.R. Brisson Complex in Casselman. Area residents had the opportunity to view plans for the project and ask questions of Enbridge and AECOM representatives.
Enbridge Senior Environmental Advisor Greg Asmussen said the reason for the proposed pipeline route following urban streets in Casselman is because they provide the most direct route to the connection point. Asmussen described the options as “feasible alternatives.â€
Asmussen said GFL, the owner of the landfill, requested the ability to feed gas created on the site into a pipeline. The proposed pipeline will be high-pressure and transmission only. It will not distribute gas to homes or businesses located along the route.
Enbridge is promoting the pipeline as a way of making a renewable source of natural gas available for increasing customer demand.
AECON is conducting the environmental assessment and required studies. After that, the proposal will be forwarded to the Ontario Energy Board (OEB), the public agency which regulates utilities in Ontario. If the OEB approves the proposal, construction could begin as early as summer, 2026.
Asmussen said the renewable natural gas is similar to the natural gas taken from wells in the ground.
“Both are methane-based,†he said.
Asmussen said the landfill will provide a reliable source of natural gas for the foreseeable future.
Enbridge and AECON will also be seeking support from North Stormont, The Nation, and Casselman municipal councils during the assessment and approval process.
Asmussen said a passage for the pipeline will be bored underneath Highway 417 without any disruption to traffic. The rest of the pipeline will be constructed by digging a trench, installing the pipeline, and then covering it.
Further updates on the Casselman Pipeline Project are available at  .
Photos: James Morgan
