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More you can do...
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We now have a new Minister of the Environment, the Hon. John Wilkinson. It is important NOT TO ASSUME that any information that may have already conveyed to his predecessor has been carried over to him. In addition, if incineration opponents are perceived as "having faded away", this could greatly reduce the effects of past efforts.
Please write to Minister Wilkinson, urging him not to approve the proposed Durham Incinerator.
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Continue to write Letters to the Editor to local newspapers (and beyond). Links to some of the local papers can be found here.
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You should still email or write to your Regional and Local Councillors regarding your concerns about incineration/thermal treatment of waste – Durham and York Regions are the project proponents and responsible for the Environmental Assessment (EA) study. Let them know that this is an issue that won't go away and won't be forgotten
at next election. See how Councillors voted on the incinerator.
“Consultants’ Reports” have not fully considered alternatives other than incineration and have identified Courtice as the preferred location to build an incinerator.
Wherever it may be located, incineration is wrong and its consequences are well documented. One would have hoped that elected politicians, both on the Clarington Municipal Council and the Durham Regional Council, would have risen to their responsibilities and considered ALL the implications before reaching a decision. They did not.
There are numerous issues of concern that many residents feel have not been adequately addressed, including but not limited to:
· The presence of a 140,000 to 400,000 tons per year incinerator in Clarington;
· The prospects for lowered air quality and higher contributions to Green House Gases;
· The health related implications, such as cancers and respiratory problems;
· The effect on taxes of a capital project now sitting at $272 million and rising;
· The consequences on property values;
· The impact on the food, dairy and water supplies;
· The implications for local agriculture and its financial viability;
· The anticipated effects on road traffic, congestion and pollution.
We cannot afford to do nothing.
The Ministry of the Environment must realize that we have serious concerns and hopefully will have more incentive to fully examine these issues if Durham residents clearly indicate their concerns. It is quick and easy to do so, but it should be done in writing.
There are 3 easy steps to follow. Your letter or e-mail should be:
· concise, Just a few sentences is enough to get your concerns across.
· identifiable, i.e. containing your full name, address, telephone number;
· dated (and signed, if regular mail is used).
Note:
You can increase your effectiveness if you get your family and friends to also take action; spread the word.
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