London, Ontario, October 14, 2011 – Following 18 months of construction, federal and municipal officials officially opened the Regional Materials Recovery Facility (MRF) on Manning Drive today.

"This new facility is a prime example of how the federal Gas Tax Fund contributes to projects that make a real difference in our communities," said Joe Preston, Member of Parliament for Elgin-Middlesex-London, on behalf of the Honourable Denis Lebel, Minister of Transport, Infrastructure and Communities. "This project has created jobs, enabled the city to expand its recycling program, and will divert waste from our landfills. This is wonderful news for London and its neighbouring communities."

"London must continue to implement worthy environmental practices and incorporate them into everything we do. London must be an environmental leader and all actions must have measurable value, be sustainable and promote green initiatives. Partnerships brought us here today and continued cooperation and vision will ensure ongoing progress," said Mayor Joe Fontana.

The new MRF is capable of processing 75,000 tonnes of materials per year. The facility is 7,000 square metres in size (75,000 square feet) and located on City-owned land, adjacent to the City's W12A landfill.

Designed to meet the Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED®) Building Rating System Silver Certification for its green design and construction, the MRF includes a "green roof" and all buildings have been planned to be energy efficient and were constructed out of environmentally friendly materials. The facility features a main processing area, equipment service building, administration building, stormwater management ponds, and weigh scales.

The MRF accepts "Blue Box" recyclables from the City of London for processing and subsequent shipping to end markets. In the future, the facility will be available to process recyclables from other municipalities.

Benefits of the new facility include lower recycling costs for the City of London, the addition of new materials to the City's recycling program and the ability to accommodate future growth and changes in recycling practices.

The City of London directed over $18 million of its federal Gas Tax Fund allocation to the $22.4 million facility. Waste Diversion Ontario also provided $4.4 million towards the project through its Continuous Improvement Fund.

"The federal Gas Tax Fund acknowledges that all orders of government must work together to address the pressing need for infrastructure investment in our municipalities," said Gary McNamara, President of the Association of Municipalities of Ontario (AMO). "Stable and predictable, the Gas Tax Fund is supporting long-term investment in local priority projects right across Ontario."

The federal Gas Tax Fund provides municipalities with an ongoing source of funding for environmentally sustainable municipal infrastructure. Funding is also available for planning projects that contribute to the sustainability of communities and regions.

The Government of Canada, through the Gas Tax Fund, provides $746 million in funding annually for municipal infrastructure in Ontario. On October 4, 2011, the Government of Canada tabled legislation that will make the Gas Tax Fund a permanent annual investment of $2 billion. Between 2010 and 2014, the City of London will receive over $86 million from the Government of Canada's Gas Tax Fund.