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STAGE
SET FOR TCI HEARING
by Jim Patrick, Kirkland
Lake Gazette
KIRKLAND LAKE, Canada, 31 March
2000 -- The order of battle
was drawn Thursday at
the
preliminary hearing by the Environmental Appeal Board over
Trans-Cycle Industries moveto expand its operations to
accept PCB waste from outside Canada.
TCI filed its appeal Jan. 4 before the
board. The Ministry of the Environment refused the company's
request under the Environmental Protection
Act.
The hearing itself will start May 8 and
prior to that hearing TCI maybe embroiled with the MOE over
a shipment of PCB material on its way here from a U.S.
military base in Japan.
TCI spokesman Michael Zarin of New York
said at a press conference following the hearing that his
company had approval from the environment ministry to accept
the waste but for some reason the MOE has backtracked on the
issue.
He said TCI will negotiate with the
authorities but said he is perplexed by the MOE
decision. The material is on its way by ship and is expected
to be in Vancouver April 7.
Mr. Zarin said the company may have to
look to unloading the material in a U.S. port if the
material is prevented from landing. The TCI spokesman
said his company has never had contentious relations with
the government or its regulators and will try to work out
the issue.
Meanwhile the company's proposal to
expand is being challenged by the Environment Ministry
under the Environmental Protection Act; Greenpeace
Canada, Northwatch of North Bay and the Temiskaming
Federation of Agriculture.
The environmental groups asked for party
status from the appeals board panel chaired by Paulette
Browes and Dr. David Pearson. Party status allows the groups
to bring forward evidence through
witnesses.
The Town of Kirkland Lake will have
participant status which allows the municipality to put its
support for the plant's expansion on record. Mayor
Richard Denton told the panel the TCI project is in line
with the town's industrial strategy that provides for
environmental solutions.
As well, Kirkland Lake and District
Chamber of Commerce will offer its support for the company.
TCI lawyer Robert told the panel he intends to argue that
since Canada is supporting an international policy to clean
up PCBs, the province can't stop TCI from expanding
its operation.
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