Sludge Watch ==> Groups appeal Ontario waste incineration permit at Lafarge cement kiln

[Maureen Reilly]

Sludgewatch Admin:

The Ontario government has taken up some very nasty environmental stances.  
They are promoting and continuing the most toxic forms of incineration while 
slowing down the implementation of newer proposed biomass technologies.

For instance they have extended the permits on dirty coal burning energy, 
given the Lafarge Bath  cement plant (a plant with no air scrubbers and that 
  emits mercury) the opportunity to burn waste, tires, muncipal trash and 
animal rendering plant wastes.  This bad decision is now being appealed. see 
below

Why would the Liberals allow the worst kind of incineration and hamper the 
importation of the best European technologies?


...................................................................
Tuesday, January 09, 2007
www.waterkeeper.ca


Groups appeal Ontario's approval of waste incineration at Lafarge cement 
kiln

On Friday, lawyers representing Loyalist Township residents, local 
landowners, Lake Ontario Waterkeeper, and Trustee of Lake Ontario Gord 
Downie applied to the Environmental Review Tribunal for leave (permission) 
to appeal two environmental approvals issued to Lafarge Canada Inc.

The approvals, issued two weeks ago by the Ministry of the Environment, 
permit Lafarge to collect, store and burn various wastes - including scrap 
tires, plastics, and meat and bone meal wastes - as "alternative fuels" at 
its cement manufacturing plant at Bath, Ontario.

"The Ministry's issuance of the two approvals is unreasonable and could 
cause significant environmental harm," stated Robert Wright, senior counsel 
with Sierra Legal, which represents a local residents' coalition. "Our 
independent experts have concluded that the proposal will pose serious risks 
to the environment and human health, particularly in relation to airborne 
contaminants."

"No facilities in Ontario currently burn tires, and the Ministry has 
conceded that it has no experience monitoring the environmental performance 
of tire-burning facilities," said Joe Castrilli, an environmental lawyer 
representing local landowners. "Since the Ministry has recently proposed a 
province-wide ban on tire-burning in Ontario, it is unreasonable to use 
local residents as guinea pigs in this ill-conceived experiment. "

"To date, the Ministry has refused to require Lafarge to prepare an 
environmental assessment under the Environmental Assessment Act, and has 
issued the approvals without public hearings under the Environmental 
Protection Act," declared Richard Lindgren, counsel with the Canadian 
Environmental Law Association (CELA), which represents Lake Ontario 
Waterkeeper and Gord Downie. "Therefore, seeking leave to appeal under the 
Environmental Bill of Rights (EBR) represents the last chance for this 
proposal to be scrutinized in public hearings be fore the Environmental 
Review Tribunal".

It is anticipated that the Tribunal's decision on the EBR leave application 
may be made in approximately 30 days.