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vHlIto officiais don't want Toironto's trash in Milton The Canadian Champion, Tuesday, May 27, 2003-3 uy ~'JA,-sJî\i MINEH The Champion Given that the Ministry of Environment (MOE) has the power to allow a municipality to dump its garbage into another municipality's landfill, politicians from Halton are urging neigbbouring Toronto to cure its waste woes as soon as pos- sible. "The ministry bas emergency powers but those are for exactly what you stated, emergencies, and they are quite short term," said MOF spokesperson Johin Steele. 'Mat possibility bas tome feeling a litile uneasy. Toronto thips its garbage to a landfill site in Michigan. The issue of what Toronto would do with its garbage if the border closes - exposimg its vulnerability - was higbligbîed last week when Michigan refused to take the Big Smokc's trash. The United States border was closed for almost 19 bours, starting at 4 p.m. last Tuesday, stranding more than 70 semi-trailer trucks filled witb compacted Toronto garbage. The border closure order came on the beels of a US. govemment ban on Canadian beef producis after a cow in Alberta tested posi- tive for bovine spongiformn encephalopatby. Alto playmng a part was heigbt- ened US. security measures. Ioroîîio cao store iiasl ati us seven transfer stations but that would last only a day or a day-and- a-balf. That limited space factor in stor- ing garbage bas Halton Regional Chair Joyce Savoline calling on Toronto to come up witb a more suitable plan to, baul and store the buge amounts garbage it produces daily. "Wben 1 beard the border was closed, 1 tbought, 'Wbat are they going to do witb ail of tbeir garbage?" she said. "Tbey don't have a lot of time to, put a plan together. It's a little disconcerting no concrete plans are in place to deal with garbage when the borders close for a period of time. "Bringing it bere is totally unac- ceptable. We don't have the room to belp." She said a primary reason is Halton's only landfill site, located on Regional Road 25 in Milton, bas capacity for a total of tbiree tons of garbage. Toronto alone produces one million tons a year, and allow- ing tome of that trasb into the Region's landfill site would create a whole set of new problems for residents bere, Ms Savoline said. She noted the Region is working very bard in diverting more of its waste witb the aim of prolonging the 30-year life of its only landîl site. Botb Ms Savoline and Milton Mayor GJord KrantL said tbey would fight bard to prevent Toronto garbage from coming to Halton due to a border shut down. "A provincial order is a provin- cial order, but we would vigorous- ly objeet to it," Ms Savoline said. Halton found ittelf in a similar position about 20 years ago, Ms Savoline said, when garbage was being sbippcd to Buffalo for a few years wbile the Region worked to find a new landfiIl site. Ms Savoine said Toronto was asked if Halton's garbage could be sent there in the interim and tbey said no, and she said everyone understood and acceptcd that dcci- sion. "Nobody criticized their posi- tion," she said. What it did was cause Halton to underta.ke the long and expensive task of going tbrougb the proces necessary to establisb a landfill site. Toronto bas no choice but to do the same tbing, Ms Savoline said. Mr. Steele said the Province bas been meeting witb Toronto offi- ciaIs since the border closure issue arose Io belp come up with a viable solution tb deal wiîb garbage. -We are having discussions witb the City of Toronto over what could be donc in the future if ibis sbould occur again,- be said. Jason Misiier can be reached at jmisnier(diihonanadiarnliampi- 011aOM. PLUS No Charge - Power Package e Chrome Whes e 3.8L V6 S unroof 9 Power Moonroof a CD Eguaizer * Widestance Tradition Do5 rwn & Freghr& Taxes AI' Taes si montr Paymenr, secry ds' irc t&55.0 rdue eesy ~ FINANCINO Et % Up t 60mes. o.A.C. B*iyS~aciiProducoý NATURAL GRAIN Spocials, BREA a *'. Ni m* &4 7- $7i49 Freshi MAPLE Le or 99#ln g BRANIf'8Soes Ail VeaU Lyonor $- LB atroln BRAmrs o i melu.1eo Sim mn, 4OU.3.Lc Hungari la i.o lo wPm O'U~ Crvilat Salami W OUIIs GaronConreNOW OPEN! Regular Store Hours Morn -Th5rs 8 30 cv -7,rr ýe Frseay 8 M ssam a"r Sm ri, A ý ' , ,, G ooFINANCING Up t 60mes $228 * Soelity fleposit roquirod. FRGM i19,49 PLUS No Charge e DDPla er 'aPyotFREE A' No Souity Usposit rqhd LASE $589*+ TAXES *48mths/80,000 *Mants ncPaid ChrmeWhel warranty *Power Mooro Fly aded s '$ 500 own Feght aesAlTaeItmnhPyel eui dps fc s &g u a*t S e l mdosne er faf cdotais 100- P' Oanfionc ear $12,995 & FRT +TAXES * $2 190 Do- . ý,l . 7a>ýs '!111[111111W'