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WITMER ALLOWING U.S. COMPANIES TO TARGET NORTHERN ONTARIO FOR HAZARDOUS WASTE IMPORTS

 

ONTARIO, Canada, 29 January 2002  -- Kirkland Lake -- Environment Minister Elizabeth Witmer's promise to strengthen Ontariošs lax hazardous waste import policies is little more than double-speak on the leadership campaign trail. Thatšs the charge being made by Temiskaming residents after learning that a New Jersey company is helping to finance a hazardous waste incinerator in Northern Ontario.

IT Corporation of New Jersey has provided Bennett Environmental with a $3 million loan to help build a PCB incinerator in Kirkland Lake. In exchange for taking the money, Bennett has promised to burn up to 30,000 tonnes a year of contaminated soil from the New Jersey corporation.

Terry Graves, spokesperson for Public Concern Temiskaming, points out that even though this hazardous waste incinerator will be the largest of its kind in Canada, Witmer's Environment Ministry is exempting the project from full public hearings or even an independent peer review.

"Ontario residents are being asked to import risk from across North America," says Graves. "US and Mexican companies will be invited to burn toxic compounds in Ontario, and then they'll get to dump the leftover soils which are still contaminated with heavy metals. Meanwhile the citizens of this province are being muzzled by the EA process."

Witmer has come under fire for her Ministry's lax standards following a damning report by Environment Commissioner Gord Miller. In the report, Miller states that Ontario is becoming a magnet for hazardous waste shipments because its standards are lower than in Quebec and the United States. Witmer, who is also running to be Ontario's next premier, has promised to improve Ontariošs standards.

Graves says Witmer's promise is hollow. "Toxic waste flows to the jurisdiction with the lowest standards," says Graves. "While she's campaigning, we're facing an a massive influx of U.S. hazardous waste into our region. Thanks to our own Ministry of Environment, nothing could be easier than siting a hazardous waste incinerator for U.S. waste in Ontario."

For more information, contact: Terry Graves (705) 647-7307 Northwatch Acting Together Today - for Tomorrow! Box 282 North Bay tel 705 497 0373 fax 705 476 7060 P1B 8H2 email nwatch@onlink.net

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