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Scart EL tt --- ------ -------- ooo PortPerry Star 4 Levels of dioxin, furans and metals in paper sludge spread on farmland here were well within provincial guidelines, according to a recent letter from the inistry of the Environment. stats continue to decline in 1998 By Jeff Mitchell Port Perry Star 'The number of people depending on welfare in Durham Region contin- ued to decline through the end of 1998, according to figures released by the social services committee. Regional Health and Social Services chair Larry O'Connor said that from November to December of 1998 there was a decline of 705 peo- ple on welfare in Durham, a decrease of 3 per cent. The welfare rolls have declined steadily throughout the year, said Mr. O'Connor. Between December of 1997 and the end of 1998, a total of 5,325 people got off wel- fare. That's a decrease of 19 per cent. Mr. O'Connor said a brighter economic picture in Durham and Ontario is the reason for the decreased dependency on welfare. "The improving econo- my was the biggest factor in the caseload decline," he said. "We know that clients want to work rather than receive social assistance, and we are actively helping them to become employed." The regional welfare picture is a reflection of the provincial scene, where the number of peo- ple on welfare has declined steadily since the election of the Conservative party. Their stance on getting tough on welfare recipi- ents and introducing a workfare scheme for ben- efits recipients was a major plank in their elec- tion platform. In fact, Community | and Social Services Minister Janet Ecker announced earlier this month that the number of people relying on wel- fare in Ontario has declined 40 per cent since the Tories came to power in June of 1995. That equates to 362,000 fewer people receiving welfare. And in December of 1998 more than 5,200 people left the system, continuing a trend of declining num- bers for the provincial caseload. "We have seen an unprecedented (ecline of over 40 per cent in the number of people relying on welfare in this province since this gov- ernment was elected," said the minister. "Ontario's improving _economy and our welfare reforms are helping peo- ple to escape the welfare trap and get back to work." Ontario Works, the government's workfare scheme, has seen partici- pation by more than 506,000 people, she said. The Ontario Works program is operated in seven locations in Durham Region. Durham Regional Police are investigating the theft of a snowmo- bile from a Port Perry home last week. Police said thieves used bolt cutters to break into a garage at a home on Paxton St. during the night Jan. 10, then took the trouble to remove a trailer hitch from a vehicle so that they could get the machine outside. Snowmobile gone from garage They drove off on the 1998 Polaris, valued at $6,000, leaving behind the bolt cutters and the trailer hitch, said police. Bolt cutters were also used in an attempted theft at a Beech St. res- idence in Port Perry, police said. Would-be thieves cut a chain on a Polaris machine, but did not manage to steal it, police said. rom Environment last rk-Durham str anager D.J. Beach, Th ; Btates that dioxin and furan levels in borough and Whitby measures 3.4 ar per trillion respectively. =. © Region welfare _ sludge spread on farmland. = : hearing from area farmers of their concerns about Also well within provincial standards were levels sludge going on farmland. Several local farmers told of metals such as lead, molybdenum, cadmium and councillors they will not allow the sludge on their chromium, ee ; land. : The letter from Beach states that Atlantic And in Brock Township a grassroots organization Packaging -- the soyrce of much of the paper sludge has been founded to oppose the practice on the spread on farmland -- is no longer using NPE's grounds that there is a potential negative impact on (nonylphenol ethoxylates) in its production, and that the environment. Scugog Mayor Doug Moffatt said at Monday's detected in samples taken in testing here Packaging's certificate of approval for sludge spreading from MOK has not been met. That's condition 36 B, which requires the applicant to Zhow free there is a benefit from applying sludge to the soil. RANA ~ i Discontinued women's and kids' boot & shoe styles All current SHOE of Sorel boots by E Kaufman for men, * women & kids Men's, Women's & Kids' selected brand name shoes and boots by Kodiak, Arctic Trail, Kamik, Kangaroo, Toe Warmers, Aerosoles, Wolverine, Adidas, FILA and more! You don't want to miss this sale!! Sale ends Tuesday, February 2, 1999 BR@CK'S NAR ONTUCTI TON MITRE HUE ENVH RERARY RIN TO for Kids 174 Queen St. Port Perry 985-8797 IN@Z(CK B Re. )( IN S 178 Queen St. Port Perry 985-8334 WRN, Oral IAA TAY III AY ¥ v 2 < XR ot IY repo 3 = ese, § Au 3 } x rely per trillion for these chemicals when they arein the practice late last year after some members began meeting that one of the conditions of Atlantic