The Toronto city council is on the verge of purchasing the Green Lane landfill site near St. Thomas, Ontario for an estimated $500 million. According to a report in the Toronto Sun, the purchase would provide the city with a repository for its solid waste for 20 to 23 years. It would be the first landfill owned and operated by the city of Toronto.

The move is, in part, a response to recent pressure from Michigan, which has long sought ways to limit the trash imported from Toronto and other parts of Ontario. A recent Michigan ban on sewage sludge from Toronto (which would also be deposited at the Green Lane site) and an agreement phasing out residential trash exports to the state have forced Toronto to find new ways to deal with its garbage.

The city had looked at leasing the Green Lane site, but determined that buying it was the most economical option in the long term.