Sludge Watch ==> Protest targets Ontario Env Minister - come to see paper sludge berm disgrace

[maureen.reilly at sympatico.ca]

Sludgewatch Admin

This morning, at a Toronto waste discussion forum hosted by the Canadian 
Urban Institute, Gord Miller, Ontario's Environment Commissioner, explained 
his on going frustration with the Ontario Ministry of the Environment for 
persisting in allowing this absurd exemption of papermill sludge from 
Ontario's waste regulations.

Several people raised the paper sludge problem at the forum.

Rural scouts have informed Sludgewatch that there is more sludge amassing in 
berms in other locations around Niagara. Details to follow.

The Brenzils with their 'Empire Agri-Business' have been seen sculking 
around rural lots with trucks of putrescing paper sludge....and the 
neighbours are buckling up for the misery to come.

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http://www.stcatharinesstandard.ca/webapp/sitepages/content.asp?contentid=72532&catname=Local%20News&classif=


Pickets mull provincewide sludge protests

Matthew Van Dongen
Local News - Wednesday, June 14, 2006 @ 01:00

Protesters are targeting Ontario's environment minister in their battle to 
stop the dumping of sludge from a paper mill on a Pelham property.

On Monday, around 30 protesters staged a legal picket at 325 Church St., 
delaying incoming trucks loaded with sludge for 10 minutes each.

That stopped Tuesday. Organizer Randy Desnoyers said demonstrators don't 
want to face confrontations with drivers - or lawsuits.

"But we can't give up. We need the environment minister (Laurel Broten) to 
step in and fix this," said Desnoyers.

"We're looking at organizing a provincewide picket at a number of sites like 
this."

The pile of sludge, registered as a product called Sound-Sorb, is a mixture 
of sand and fibrous sludge left over from paper recycling at Abitibi 
Consolidated in Thorold.


Abitibi and its contractor, Empire Agri-Services Inc., say the mixture is 
safe for the environment and will make an effective berm to protect the 
property from nearby train noise.

The Ministry of the Environment is monitoring the work, but can't regulate 
the dumping because Sound-Sorb is exempt from provincial waste regulations 
because it is registered as a product by Industry Canada, said local 
Environment Ministry head Paul Nieweglowski.

That's ridiculous, said Desnoyers, who said he and his neighbours don't 
understand how a waste product can be exempt from regulation "by mixing in a 
little bit of sand."

An expert report prepared for the ministry in 2005 said there's no need to 
ban the use of the paper fibre biosolids.

However, the report also made several other recommendations, including 
putting the use of Sound-Sorb under ministry control.

A ministry spokesman said Monday those recommendations are under review.

Desnoyers wants the minister to explain why that's taking so long.

Empire Agri-Services manager David Brenzil said his company has eliminated 
any chance of runoff from the pile and is working to stop odours.

But residents are still worried about water and air contamination, said 
Desnoyers, and a government-regulated approach would help.

To push matters along, Pelham Mayor Ron Leavens is inviting Broten to visit 
and view the pile for herself.

"We'll be making that request," he said Tuesday night. "It may turn out that 
this stuff is completely harmless, but the fact of the matter is we don't 
know that for sure yet," said Leavens.

The town is powerless to interfere with the pile, said Leavens, although 
staff are considering implementing a site-alteration bylaw that may help in 
future.

The town will host a public information meeting on the dumping issue next 
Wednesday at 6 p.m. at the Fenwick fire hall.

In the meantime, the mountain of grey sludge is still growing - but so is 
opposition, said Desnoyers.

"We're getting calls from people all over Ontario who have been blindsided 
by similar situations."

mvandongen at stcatharinesstandard.ca