19 May 2009

Rally Against Incinerator - May 20th

Stand Up & Say No To Incineration Before It's Too Late!

We have the power to avoid over 30 years of regret!
Host:
Concerned Citizen and Tax Payers from Durham Region
Type: RALLY


Date:
Wednesday, May 20, 2009
Time:
5:30pm - 8:30pm
Location:
Durham Regional Head Quarters
Street:
605 Rossland Rd. East at Garden St.
City/Town:
Whitby, ON
Here is an opportunity for you to show that Durham residents want a real sustainable solution to waste management, not a heavily subsidized pollution factory that will make money for the private sector and burden us with additional taxes and health risks for the next 30 years.

The Site Liaison Committee is responsible for getting our message to the region. They have so far been stunningly ineffective and its time to show the Region how we feel.

We are blessed with the Freedom of Peaceful Assembly, the Freedom of Speech, the Freedom of Expression and the Freedom of Association to protect us from oppressive government at any level.

The incinerator threatens not only our health but the financial viability of this Region. We cannot afford to sit on our hands and be complacent any longer.

The time has come to stand up and say NO to this incinerator!
Facebook group:
http://www.facebook.com/home.php?#/event.php?eid=55173887613

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More information:

Rally in Opposition of the Proposed Durham/York P3 Incinerator May 20th

Many questions have been raised about the potential threat this project poses to the region. In addition to the concerns about health and economic effects, residents are now faced with the the possibility that Metro Toronto garbage could be heading there way as a result of this project.

Press Advisory:

Durham Region residents are planning a peaceful demonstration Wednesday May 20th, to express their opposition to the proposed Durham/York P3 (Public Private Partnership) Incinerator Project beginning at 530 pm outside the Durham Region Headquarters, 605 Rossland East in Whitby, Ontario.

According to documents released by the Region the controversial plan would see a mass burn incinerator built in the municipality of Clarington less than a kilometer from the shores of Lake Ontario. The incinerator would burn residential garbage from Durham Region as well as waste transported from York Region on a continuous basis, for no fewer than 25 years. Once the option is exercised to expand the capacity of the facility from 140,000 TPY (tons per year) to 400,000 TPY, waste from other municipalities would also be accepted.

The initial Environmental Assessment excluded outright the possibility of accepting garbage from Metro Toronto; however, an addendum to a motion at Clarington Council last week indicates that this might not be the case. The motion outlined a $10/ton tipping fee ‘royalty’ to go directly to the host Municipality, Clarington, for waste received specifically from Metro Toronto. This is notably higher than the tipping fee ‘royalty’ previously discussed of $2/ton

Recently the preferred vendor, American company Covanta Energy, announced that it had reached a deal with Miller Waste to transport the toxic fly ash produced by the incineration process, (equal to approximately 5% of the total mass of waste burned) to a toxic waste facility in New York State for the lifetime of the facility - 25-30 years. The toxic waste will either be stored in a toxic waste storage facility near Niagara Falls, processed for landfill in Lewiston or Incinerated at a site in New York State. The bulk ash remaining after incineration, between 20 - 30% of the original mass and 10% of the original volume, would then be transported to a landfill site that is yet to be determined.

"The project once called a 'Made in Durham Solution' is beginning to reach pretty far from Durham Region." said Whitby homeowner Chris White at the Region’s Public Information Session in Bowmanville last week. “With this deal we will have trucks transporting garbage to Durham from who knows where, as well as trucks transporting toxic waste to someone else’s back yard, day in and day out."

The rally is scheduled to take place prior to the Site Liaison Committee meeting at the Durham Region Head Quarters next Wednesday.

“The SLC was designed as a conduit between the people and the Regional Council on this matter." said Rebecca Harrison resident and one of the rally’s organizers. “I’m very disappointed in the way in which the various politicians and regional staff that sit on this vital committee have acted during the SLC meetings I have attended. I know I am not alone. Our hope is that this rally will refocus these committee members and gets our message to Regional Council.”

Come May 20th the concerned residents will be joined by several labour unions who are also opposed to the Durham York P3 Incineration project.

Dave Renaud, President of the CAW Durham Region Environment Council will be speaking at Wednesdays rally. “The organized Labour movement (Canadian Labour Congress, Durham Region Labour Council, CAW, CUPE) across Canada is opposed to the use of incineration of municipal waste due to our resounding belief that Extended Producer Responsibility will lead us down the path of sustainable green production, cancer free jobs which are the opposite of what Durham Regions EFW consultants and some of the Regional Councilors want for our communities.”

Mr. Renaud will be joined by CUPE Ontario President Sid Ryan who held a press conference in regards to CUPE's oppostion to this P3 Incinerator earlier this month. “This is typical of P3 projects,” said Mr. Ryan “They underbid to get the project going then the taxpayer is on the hook for the cost overruns. This project smells like an environmental and fiscal disaster.”

Jim Freeman President of the Durham Region Labour Council, who is also addressing Wednesday’s rally, expressed his concerns with Covanta’s track record in his delegation to Regional Council last November prior to the company being selected as the preferred vendor by the Region. “As you know the Durham Region Labour Council does not support the construction of an Energy from Waste facility in our community but we have specific concerns about Covanta. According to the Utility Workers Union of America (UWUA), Covanta has a deplorable track record of anti-union , anti-worker activity in the United States.”

All three labour leaders have made delegations in opposition to this project over the course of the proceedings.

In a Region that has been hard hit by job loss this P3 project does not appear to be sitting well with area residents who are currently out of work. According to the Business Case provided to the public by the Region this project with an estimated capital cost of $236 million is estimated to create only 33 long term full time positions.

"Burning garbage kills people and jobs.” said Marissa Kata, an Oshawa home owner and mother who recently lost her job. “Other regions are seeing garbage as an opportunity; a resource that is desperately needed right now for the unemployed and the manufacturing sector. We need good ‘green’ jobs in this community and $236 million could go a long way to making that a reality if invested in more sustainable programs. ”

With the Region prepared to vote June 12th, on a recommendation to proceed with this project, these Durham residents are confident that as a result of their increased presence Regional politicians will hear their concerns and act accordingly.

“All we are asking them to do is the same thing Halton Region did when they were faced with the decision,” said Ms. Harrison, “apply the precautionary principle and vote against the health and economic risks posed to Durham residents by this incinerator.”

For more information on the rally and Durham York Incinerator including links to Regional Documents on the proceedings please visit:

www.cawdrec.com – CAW Durham Region Environment Council
www.durhamenvironmentwatch.org – Durham Environment Watch
www.zerowaste4zeroburning.ca – Zero Waste 4 Zero Burning
What: Stand Up to Incineration Rally

Where: Durham Region Headquarters,
605 Rossland Road East,
Whitby Ontario

When: Wednesday May 20th, 2009
5:30opm-830pm
(Site Liasion Committee Meeting begins inside at 7:00pm)

Why: To oppose the Durham/York P3 (Public Private Partnership) Incinerator proposal.
Media Contact
Rebecca Harrison
(905) 999-5479