Dioxins, furans, and other toxins accumulate on our lands and waters. They enter the food chain and when animals eat contaminated plants and sediments, they get concentrated in their fat and pass it on in dairy and meat products. What are the implications for our locally produced food and our farm community? In Europe, meat, dairy and eggs must be regularly tested for dioxin and dioxin-like PCBs. We have no such regulations in Ontario. There are no plans by Durham Region consultants to do any baseline testing of local livestock. Why is it important in Europe, where they have a lot of incinerators and where much of the pro-incinerator information comes from (industry related), but it's not deemed to be important here in Durham Region.
Durham Region and Clarington in particular is a heavily agricultural area. They should be protecting agriculture in the region, including livestock operations, but have ignored expert studies and peer review literature which explains the risks and already proven effects on the food chain. But the Durham Region Agricultural Advisory Committee along with Regional Council are ignoring the studies and facts that point to these high risks. Why?
Building this incinerator could easily cause residents to no longer "buy local". For some it won't matter much, but for others, especially those with children, it should matter and will matter. I'm sure local activists will make a big stink about contamination of livestock and produce and people will begin to think twice. As well they should.
My apology for stealing this photo, but I couldn't resist. It is another sign of the times.
If only the cows could protest I'll bet they would! But would anybody listen? Who is listening to residents who have concerns? a few of the local councillors and a handful of regional councillors and thats about it. Roger Anderson? He could care less what residents think and makes it very obvious. He is the centre of the Durham universe in his own mind and he has too many blind followers in residents minds.
ReplyDeleteWe need to shift our focus from the unelected Regional Chairman to the elected Mayor and 2 Regional Councillors from Clarington. The Regional Chairman is empowered by the will of Council and Abe, Trim and Novak. The elected have the power to do something, not the unelected. It is time that the 3 stand up to the bully, but alas they are all whimps.
ReplyDeleteJust curious, does the Mayor have a side job selling jewellery as Russel Oliver on tv?
First, I would like to commend CW on how it has evolved over the years. 2nd, while I am very upset over the incinerator, I really would like to see something on the blog about the Mayors campaign team costing the taxpayers money in court again. My god, Hendrix, Vandyk, Prout and Keane cost us $80000 in court a few months ago trying to sue the municipality and they are now suing the auditor the municipality hired, what is that going to cost us. What has this Mayor and his campaign team cost us? I know our credibility as a municipality and how much money? Please make this a blog topic, CW is our only voice sometimes.
ReplyDeleteI see many comments about our unelected Regional Chair (Mao) Anderson. Not too many people are very happy about that, and it is something that needs to be addressed prior to the next municipal elections in 2010. I know there are many who would like to rid the region of this blight. Oshawa, Ajax and Pickering have all endorsed having an elected chair, but we need at least two more municipalities to endorse this. We here in Clarington should be putting the screws to our council to reverse their previous stand. Now that they have witnessed the way Anderson bullies his way through every meeting, perhaps they would be willing if the vote was taken again.. Don't count on our whimpy mayor or the two sheep known as Trim and Novak, but put some weight on our 4 local councillors to act and do the right thing. In the meantime, we have another more urgent matter in Clarington to address and that is the insideous incinerator. Once again, our 4 local councillors (so far) have remained steadfast behind the people who elected them, and once again, you guessed it, our mayor (Jim Aberfluffy) and the two sheep (Trim and Novak) are blindly following the lead of Anderson. We have the power to stop them! It is rumored that Trim will either retire at the end of this term, or run for Mayor - either way, I would suggest he's gone. Likewise, the word on the street is that Novak will be trying for the mayor's job. She too must be defeated, and I know there is an army of peopl;e willing to work against her at present. As for Aberfool, most of his previous campaign team are disgusted with him (and for good reason) and they are currently grooming someone else to run for this job. However, they were the ones who got this dud elected in the first place, so why should we count on them to put forth another candidate. More about this later. I hear that former councillor McArthur will take another run at the regional seat (??) but I also think perhaps councillor Foster might go for the same seat. I'd put my money (and faith) on Foster and that ward 4 councillor Robinson is also going to run for a regional seat to replace Trim - that shouldn't be too hard. The usual collection of candidates will likely resurface, but it's time for real change at the municipal level. If not, we'll see more destruction of our waterfront, more degradation in our real estate market, and higher taxes. Our airshed which is already badly compromised will be even worse with the advent of an incinerator and the ludicrous plans by St. Mary's to burn garbage in their facility which is already one of the major polluters in Durham. We'll see more wastewater treatment plants and more dirty industry all thanks to the Region and our 3 stooges (Abernethy, Novak and Trim). Wake up Clarington; protect yourselves, your families, your community and your pocketbooks.
ReplyDeleteI see many comments about our unelected Regional Chair (Mao) Anderson. Not too many people are very happy about that, and it is something that needs to be addressed prior to the next municipal elections in 2010. I know there are many who would like to rid the region of this blight.
ReplyDeleteOshawa, Ajax and Pickering have all endorsed having an elected chair, but we need at least two more municipalities to endorse this. We here in Clarington should be putting the screws to our council to reverse their previous stand. Now that they have witnessed the way Anderson bullies his way through every meeting, perhaps they would be willing if the vote was taken again.. Don't count on our wimpy mayor or the two sheep known as Trim and Novak, but put some weight on our 4 local councillors to act and do the right thing.
In the meantime, we have another more urgent matter in Clarington to address and that is the insidious incinerator. Once again, our 4 local councillors (so far) have remained steadfast behind the people who elected them, and once again, you guessed it, our mayor (Jim Abernethy) and the two sheep (Trim and Novak) are blindly following the lead of Anderson. We have the power to stop them! It is rumored that Trim will either retire at the end of this term, or run for Mayor - either way, I would suggest he's gone. Likewise, the word on the street is that Novak will be trying for the mayor's job. She too must be defeated, and I know there is an army of people willing to work against her at present. As for Abernethy, most of his previous campaign team are disgusted with him (and for good reason) and they are currently grooming someone else to run for this job. However, they were the ones who got this guy elected in the first place, so why should we count on them to put forth another candidate? More about this later. I hear that former councillor McArthur will take another run at the regional seat (??) but I also think perhaps councillor Foster might go for the same seat. I'd put my money (and faith) on Foster and that ward 4 councillor Robinson is also going to run for a regional seat to replace Trim - that shouldn't be too hard.
The usual collection of candidates will likely resurface, but it's time for real change at the municipal level. If not, we'll see more destruction of our waterfront, more degradation in our real estate market, and higher taxes. Our airshed which is already badly compromised will be even worse with the advent of an incinerator and the ludicrous plans by St. Mary's to burn garbage in their facility which is already one of the major polluters in Durham. We'll see more wastewater treatment plants and more dirty industry all thanks to the Region and our 3 stooges (Abernethy, Novak and Trim).
Wake up Clarington; protect yourselves, your families, your community and your pocketbooks.
Once again, I repeat myself, but Durham residents, especially those in Clarington need to drop their 4 local councillors (Foster, Robinson, Hooper and Woo) a line to let them know they support the motion (already passed) that Clarington be known as an unwilling host. If they wish to do even greater deeds, they should let the likes of our misguided Mayor (Abernethy) and the other two stoodes (Trim and Novak) know that we are not in favour of having a garbage incinerator in Clarington or anywhere else in Durham' not as long as there are viable alternatives. Perhaps the alternatives are not a lucrative for the consultants, and perhaps some regional politicians, but they are better for our health and financial position in the long-term. Once again, I repreat my call: Wake up Clarington, before it's too late.
ReplyDeleteOnce again, I repeat myself, but Durham residents, especially those in Clarington need to drop their 4 local councillors (Foster, Robinson, Hooper and Woo) a line to let them know they support the motion (already passed) that Clarington be known as an unwilling host. If they wish to do even greater deeds, they should let the likes of our misguided Mayor (Abernethy) and the other two Regional Councillors (Trim and Novak) know that we are not in favour of having a garbage incinerator in Clarington or anywhere else in Durham' not as long as there are viable alternatives. Perhaps the alternatives are not lucrative for the consultants, and perhaps some regional politicians, but they are better for our health and financial position in the long-term. Once again, I repeat my call: Wake up Clarington, before it's too late.
ReplyDeleteReaders in Oshawa could really help us (and themselves)out in Clarington if they booted the two (Oshawa)regional reps who like to pretend they're concerned about the environment.
ReplyDeleteKeeping in mind that we all share the same airshed, buy fresh local produce when we can, and get our drinking water from Lake Ontario, we seriously need to get rid of councilors Nester Pidwerbecki and Joe Kolodzie. They are imposters on the environment. They are the only two Oshawa reps who support the incinerator. Get rid of them; now is not the time to recycle unworthy candidates.
We in Clarington will be doing our utmost to rid ourselves of Mayor Abernethy, and councilors Novak and Trim.
Speaking of that, citizens should also consider getting rid of some of those at the political trough like MP's Colin Carrie and Bev Oda.