Hamilton and Niagara waste officials ended their $1.5-million disposal study and will now meet whenever issues of mutual concern arise.

"It has been an excellent partnership," said Beth Goodger, director of Hamilton's waste management. "There has been some valuable research done that will benefit Hamilton in the future."

Members of the Niagara Hamilton WastePlan ended the five-year arrangement between the two municipalities July 11.

The partnership and the disposal study was thrown into confusion last year when Niagara Region decided to lease quarry space from Walker Brothers to divert the municipality's waste. Niagara bought about 20 years worth of private landfill space from the private business which Niagara Regional politicians believed was a better financial deal than continuing to examine future options.

Hamilton officials estimate to get approval for the environmental assessment and environment protection acts would cost about $2 million.

Both Niagara and Hamilton officials said continuing its environment assessment from the province's Environment Ministry would prove extremely costly.

The WastePlan committee's decision will be presented to both municipalities' councils sometime in late September or early October, said Ms. Goodger.

In 2006 the WastePlan panel adopted an incineration option for waste disposal. But under public pressure, particularly from Niagara environmental groups, the WastePlan retreated on its preferred option and decided to seek other solutions, including a stabilized landfill system that mechanically removes recyclable materials and organics, an energy from waste facility, and a plan to extract fuel from refuse. No option was chosen.

The WastePlan committee will meet at the call of the chair, and will stop updating its website www.wasteplan.ca.

Hamilton, though, has applied to the Environment Ministry to conduct an environment assessment to implement an energy from waste facility.

The WastePlan was launched to investigate better methods to deal with both municipalities' limited landfill space. The $1.5 million disposal study examined alternatives on how to get rid of waste.

The money had been split evenly between the two municipalities.