One Public Information Session was scheduled to be held in Bowmanville to ask for input on the preferred site (they have to ask, because of EA requirements, but they don't have to listen). Due to delegations to Clarington Council on Monday night and the Joint Waste Management Group on Tuesday (in Regional Council Chambers) complaining that there should be more than one Information Session in Clarington (there should be at least 3, according to most who noticed the shortcoming) and there should be sessions held in the host town - Courtice. The other complaint was the timing of the session - a drop in session from 2 pm until 9 pm on Wednesday (Oct 3) and a formal presentation from 9 pm until 11 pm. What a time on a weeknight! And where is the time for questions/comments from residents?
The Q&A session after the formal presentation has, at all the former Public Information Sessions held by Genivar/Jacques Whitford, been the most informative part of the presentation. These consultants are known by now to gloss over any of the negative impacts and promote anything positive they can find to say about this incinerator project. It is during the Q&A sessions that more information comes out. Asking a consultant one on one is quite different than listening to comments from other residents, and probing questions that are NOT being asked by the politicians.
Residents were assured at the JWMG meeting on Tuesday this week that the formal presentation on Oct. 3 would be moved to 8 pm from 9 pm (after all the delegations asked that it be moved to 7 pm like all the other presentations have been, and like the York Region presentation will be). It was reported in the Wednesday, Sept. 26 Canadian Statesman that the time would be 8 pm. In today's Clarington This Week, the reported time is 9 pm again. See how the previous information sessions were handled.
Are they confused themselves, or are they just trying to confuse us? They obviously don't want a good turnout as the advertising for this Public Session has been pitiful, and short notice, late hour, etc. Here is one more complaint about the PROCESS.
They have now added a second session, to be held in Courtice at Faith United Church on Nash Road on Tuesday, October 9 - at 8 pm. Still they couldn't be convinced to hold this one at 7 pm either. This looks to be intentional, not to give Clarington what it asks for. But then again, why start now?
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More and more we are losing confidence in this bunch. That includes the Mayor and Regional Councillors from Clarington as well as the Regional Project Team and Consultants. Read the comments from people on my previous post. Yes, this Process is a failure. Why would we have any confidence in the conclusions they come to at the end of this flawed process?
By treating Clarington Council and Staff and residents so shabbily and thoughtlessly, they show how little our opinions count. Roger Anderson was correct when he said Clarington's views wouldn't matter in the Region's actions or decisions. He was not just talking about "the process". Will the tacky treatment of Clarington continue? It seems so. It seems to be escalating. Mr. Anderson has great difficulty in disguising his contempt for Clarington. I would submit that he no longer even bothers.
Do YOU have confidence in this process, as it has been handled to date? I look forward to your comments. If I'm wrong, I'll apologize, although I won't change my mind until or unless things change BIG TIME. I don't think the political will is there to make the changes needed. Why does it seem that our Mayor and 2 Regional Councillors (Trim and Novak) are so afraid to stand up for Clarington and demand fair treatment? Why don't they appear to care about the voters/taxpayers of this municipality? Why are they willing to risk our health and well-being? I'd love to hear from any of them, but they also appear to be afraid to answer direct questions honestly.
Do I have confidence in this process? NO, absolutely not. I did in the beginning, but as time goes on, it becomes more and more evident that the decison was made long ago - about thermal treatment, about the preferred site, about the "safety" of the technology, about everything. We're being led down the garden path and I don't like it one bit.
ReplyDeleteHow can we even trust the results of the testing they are doing? Numbers can be manipulated and with the track record so far, I have absolutely no confidence in any further claims the region or consultants will make. It's sad that it has degenerated to this extent.
ReplyDeleteI have no confidence in anything undertaken by this consulting team anymore. Or by our Regional Councillors from Clarington. It is terrible to suspect them of having their own preconceived agenda and not caring about what the residents have to say, but that is the appearance, and most likely the truth of the matter. They seem to think they know so much better than everyone else. They take the word of proponents/lobbyists of Energy from Waste (incineration) but ignore the studies done by experts as well as the word of the local doctors. How sad for all of us. How sad for our children.
ReplyDeleteI can't attend. I start work at 8:30 every morning and have 3 children to get ready and off to school before that. I'm too tired to stay for a 9 pm (or 8 pm) start to the presentation, and it is the question period at the end of that that I am most interested in. Residents ask the questions I never even think to ask. I want to hear them as much as I want to hear the presenters. I can't do that with these late start times on a week night. Is that the intent?
ReplyDeleteCan we count on our regional representatives from Clarington to get the region to do another public session at a more reasonable time? I doubt it. They don't want people asking questions and hearing others questions. They are so sold on incineration that they are oblivious to anything else. Sure, they keep saying they haven't made up their minds yet, but they made them up long ago, when the Region decided they wanted to build an incinerator in Clarington (and that wasn't just last week!).
ReplyDeletePeople are getting more and more skeptical about the whole thing. No one should be surprised.
I couldn't go to the information session on Wednesday, but I saw the preview on CTV, but didn't find out until to late about CBLT or I would have watched it while waiting for the hockey game.
ReplyDeleteHowever, it has made the main CBC website tonight (Friday), through it's Canada then Toronto page, so hopefully some people outside the Regions will read it.
I saw the CBC article too. Proposed Durham incinerator draws fire at public meetings Roger Anderson said about incinerators: "They are fairly safe and environmentally safe."
ReplyDeleteIs FAIRLY SAFE good enough for you?