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Problems for Tin by David Krayden A report from the Ministry of the Environ- ment may have put Tiny Township council's preferred location for a new landfill site in jeopardy. The letter was written by Keith Neuman, a sociologist in the policy and planning branch of the MOE. It was sent to Niall McMillan, an environment planner with the Environmental Assessment Branch. McMillan forwarded a copy of the report to Tiny's environmental assessment co- ordinator with the Proctor and Redfern Group. In his own letter attached to the report, McMillan stated, "I strongly advise you to ad- dress these comments and the comments of all other government reviewers and incor- __..porate suggested changes into the final EA document prior to formal submission." What does Neuman suggest? He accuses the draft environment assess- ment report of not having "properly address- ed potential effects of the alternatives con- sidered on the social environment." It accuses Tiny of ignoring "social factors," and "downplaying the potential environment affects of continued use of a specific area for landfill operations, like Perkinsfield, which has already suffered significant environmen- tal degradation and the resultant social stress from an existing site." The report says the Ministry of the En- vironment - and specifically district officer for this area, Ian Gray - was not sufficiently consulted during the site selection process and that alternative sites were not seriously considered. Gray says the document holds as much weight "'as all the others" which the MOE prepares. Tinney in charge As of January 1, 1988, it's going to cost you $45 per tonne to bring building material to the transfer site. Bruce Tinney doesn't want to see gar- bage trucked unnecessarily to Toronto. Tinney says this material contains a good deal of matter which is recyclable, and this is one way of encouraging peo- ple to dispose of it in more economical ways. Tinney,.in addition to being the Reeve of Tay Township Council is the new Chairman of the Transfer Station Commit- tee, an organ of the North Simcoe Waste Management Association. Also on the committee are Penetangui- shene Councillor Lionel Dion, Midland Councillor Nancy Keefe and Tiny Coun- cillors Ross Hastings and Montcalm Maurice. "The only option which wouldn't hold Tiny up in the Environmental Assessment hear- ings would be to proceed and try to win at the later process." But Gray confirmed that if Tiny tries to "rectify all the problems" now it might enter those hearings six months later than planned. However, the North Simcoe Waste Management Association's case for Site 41 (the parcel of land on Concession Two of Tiny Township where it wants its dump) will not be contingent upon Tiny's timetable. Tiny and the association will have separate En- vironmental Assessment hearings. The Deputy Reeve of Tiny Council says the report is "more or less par for the course."' But Dr. Peter Brasher has harsh words for its author. "Tt's the sort of thing I'd expect from a newly-appointed civil servant with no local knowledge. He's acquainting his 'expe. asc - and please put that word in quotation marks - against the values and knowledge of the local people." "This sociologist, Neuman, makes one point all through his report, that it would be unfair to continue the Pauze dump - but he makes no differentation between the location and operation of that site." Brasher says MOE really can't comprehend the needs of Tiny like the residents there can. "If you're a civil servant and you were ask- ed, 'What's the quickest way to my work?,' he'd start a study. He's not from this area and he can't understand some very simple facts," said Brasher. Brasher contends that Neuman fails to understand the difference between contain- ment sites and attenuation sites and constant- ly confuses the two terms in his report. y site "He questions our down-playing the clay (at Site 41). That clay is so sticky and fragile that I don't think-it would work. We question whether that clay is even viable: waste might burst right through it." And as for the District Officer for MOE be- ing consulted during phases of the site selec- tion process, Brasher says Gray was invited to attend many public meetings. "But we weren't very likely to consult Mr. Gray every step of the way. He was invited to see the selection process but we damn well weren't going to have him there for the deliberations."' Brasher suggested Gray should be gagged. "We know what we want and we know what we'll tolerate. Mr. Neuman doesn't know that. We can't very well ignore this report but we certainly can't take it too seriously either," Brasher says. ° Si VenetanGguisnene. i er | mn Aa ee eae my 8 @ B/ A 24 6 ee a SF te? tke Vol. 20 No. 49. Folio 98 Reeve Morris Darby is surrounded by his Deputy Reeve and councillors as some impor- tant business is discussed. Tiny has some We've got a problem here: Wednesday. December 9, 1987 more important business to discuss at their next meeting on Dec. 16. The Council's choice of a landfill site may be rejected if cer- Recycling is the The President of the Georgian Shores Waste Reduction Group has urged the NSWMA to "'plan now for the future."' Peter Stubbins was at the regular monthly meeting to talk about recycling and show some video tapes on how it's being done in other municipalities. In some of the cases presented, almost 70 per cent of waste was saved from the land- fill site and recycled, reduced, reused or reclaimed. Figures like that are usually considered im- possible to achieve Stubbins says. The association listened very carefully as Stubbins described how "the four Rs" can drastically reduce taxes. In an interview after the meeting, Stubbins described his feelings for the association as "very enthused." Stubbins said the NSWMA is showing real initiative in trying to solve its waste reduc- tion problems. "IT think we have a well-intentioned system," he said. Stubbins insists that North Simcoe can achieve a 55 per cent rate of recycling. 'I'm a little hesitant to say 70 per cent but that might be a realisable goal." If we are to achieve numbers like that, then more public participation in the system is a must. Right now, Stubbins says about 30 per cent of the population is participating in the recycling program. "That falls far short of the 90-100 per cent which they're getting in South-West Oxford." That kind of co-operation might only be had if recycling was mandatory, something Stubbins says is 'ultimately going to happen, but it would be nice to see how many people would voluntarily participate."' He points out that people in Huronia have had enough time to become involved. People have had two and one half years; people aren't stupid, just lazy." | 40 cents. tain "sociological factors" aren't considered. Tiny has cancelied this week's regular coun- cil meeting. answer Stubbins says there is only one option to not recycling: '""An environment which is more polluted and taxes which are higher."' What the waste reduction president wants the NSWMA to do is take a broader view of recycling since "'if you take smaller steps it's more costly. Let's plan and build one large facility: | mean whether they like it or not, we're already involved in the process, McLellan is taking away recyclable objects so they don't have to be trucked to Keele Valley." Since we already have a recycling plant, more recycling would mean more revenue but not more costs since the structure is already in place. Also, Stubbins says, more jobs would be created. "With recycling, you're doing something for yourself. You are doing something to save money, lessen the impact of waste on the en- vironment. I think it's something to get en- thused about. Rotary Club and polio: see pg. 3