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PAGE 4, WEDNIESDAY. JUNE 15. 1985.WIITBY FREE PRESS whitby[ Voice of the County Town Michael lan Burgess, Publisher . Managing Editor The only Whitby newspaper independently owned and operated by Whithy residents for Whitby residents. l>thlishied eerv VCdflCs(l. l)v Ml1M.ulishing Sand IPhotograph ' men. Ilhon e 668-6111I Thbe Free Press Bilding. 1:11 1rock Street North, P.(. Box 200, hithY, Ont. MICHAEL KNELL Community Editor VALERIE COWEN Advertising Manager Secood Class Mai Reqtration No 5351 Hearing needed into Decom proposal There is a minor storm brewing in the Whitby Municipal Building these days over a proposai by Decom Medical Waste Transportation Systems Inc. to develop a medical waste transfer station in our fair community. Last week, WhItby Town Council's ad- ministrative committee held a public meeting to look into the matter and was confronted by a small, but vocal, number of local residents who, quite simply, don't want the facility. To be frank, this issue is fast becoming a hot potato. Because of most people's perceptions and fears, the members of Whitby Town Council will probably turn it down. After ail, who wants to of- fend the voters in an election year? A we.kl naews em ry t one of Canada's oltataDkdng nwueunomlUMs There has been a disastrous turnaround in farm fortunes in the last decade. It is a story of shrinking equity, rising interest rates, low market prices and brutal squeeze plays by bankers and public servants who are trying to cover up their own mistakes. The major mistake made by the banks and the federal Farm Credit Corporation was this: They advanced money based on a farmer's equity. They should have based their loans on what that equity could reasonably be expected to generate ln a farmer's ability to repay. Either way, of course, the lender was covered, but because the loans were based on equity rather than income estimates, the indebted farmer was, and is, in trouble. Late last year, the federal government and Ontario set up the Farm Financial Review Board. It had a mandate to study the situation in depth in Bruce and Gray counties, and It reported late in May. The board included representatives of farmers's organizations, government, the banks, and the Farm Credit Cor- poration. Not surprisingly, there was considerable disagreement. But they did agree that the present situation is intolerable, and that an independent review panel is needed, interposed between the far- mer and his creditors, to see that justice is done. The entire board also agreed that in the past, the creditors were concerned merely with protecting their own financial positions and were not necessarily concerned with the best interests of farmers. That may not be surprising when it comes to banks, but when it is suggested of the Farm Credit Corporation, set up to help farmers, it amounts to a devastating indictment. Part of the problem perhaps, Is ln the federal cor- poration's mandate. It is supposed to cover its own overhead and indeed, to make a profit, a job that gets tougher and tougher as farmers go under. Bad loans have forced Farm Credit to raise its interest rates, which are now unacceptably high. So Farm Credit lends less and less and its empire remains intact. The story of the farmers' relationship with Farm Credit ls full of insensitivity, broken promises, self- serving bureaucratic politics and profound human tragedy. And if the Minister of Agriculture, John Wise, doesn't say enough is enough very soon now, he won't have many farmers to worry about. However, what has happened is that we are no longer dealing with the merits of the situation. And the blame for this must rest not only with Decom and Whitby Town Council but with the On- tario Ministry of the Environment as well. The f irst mistake that was made happened a few weeks ago when the Decom application was recommended for approval by the committee without a public meeting. Subsequently, the mat- ter was sent back to the committee by council for a public meeting. The committee's recommen- dation was that the approvai should be given without requesting that an Environment Assessment Hearing be held. The second mistake was Decom's. At last week's committee meeting, the company's representative attempted (probably in vain) to ex- plain the nature of their proposai. However, it wasn't until he was pressed to the point that he finally admitted that they would be carrying am- putated limbs and other human tissue in their collection vehicles. While he gally admitted to the transportation of specimen cups, bandages, syringes and other medical Items, he wouldn't talk about the issue of most concern to the residents. The residents are afraid, quite rightly, of leaks from the proposed transfer station. They wanted to know what safety measures would take place in case of an accident. Another error in judgement was made by senior officiais of the Ontarlo Ministry of the Environ- ment. Not only did they tell the public meeting that they aiready had the authority to issue Decom its license to operate, they could not tell the residents how often the facility would be inspec- ted to ensure that all proper safety measures were n place and being adhered to. Residents at the meeting were not impressed or re-assured by the ministry. While the ministry -indicated ln no uncertair terms that this facility was needed, they did no seem to be prepared to deal with the resident', concerns. Elsewhere ln today's edition, we have reporte( that neitherJim Miller, the administratorof the Dr J.O. Ruddy General Hospital nor Dr. Claytor MacKay of the MacKay Animal Clinic see i pressing need for this facility. Both have reporte( that, to the best of their knowledge, no problemt are currently being encountered with the curren method of biomedical waste disposal. It is also obvious that this project would havi many economic benefits to our community. i would create jobs (not necessarily for loca residents), produce more business for suppor services (again not necessarily local), but it woulî add to the assessment. However, before anything is done with thi proposai perhaps it would be wise for Whitb Town Council to ask for an Environmen Assessment Hearing. During this hearing, ail c the available information regarding this ar plication would come forward. The pros and con of the project could be assessed completely ani without emotional blases. We must not throw this proposai out the wir dow casually or because of unfounded fears. Thi proposai should come with strings attached, ir cluding guarantees of safety measures and a wri ten inspection schedule. These conditions, we understand, can be mad part of Decom's license to operate. And the bes way to get them included is at a hearing. If Decom and the ministry are not willing to g this route, then Whitby Town Council would b fully justified in rejecting the application out-o hand. lvWyALt,Ç 8BAD tPu&ICITY. m