The Council of Canadians Northumberland chapter campaigned against a proposed incinerator in Wesleyville, a municipality of Port Hope, Ontario.
Northumberland Today now reports, “A proposal presented by Entech-REM to establish a garbage incineration-gasification plant in the Municipality of Port Hope has been turned down by the Ontario Municipal Board. In a pre-hearing held in Port Hope on March 17 … OMB chair Mary-Anne Sills ruled that, since Entech-REM is no longer a proponent for the proposed facility and in the absence of detailed health studies, the OMB would not overrule Port Hope council’s decision of July 29, 2014 to deny the official plan amendment and zoning bylaw change that would have allowed for the establishment of the proposed waste plant at Wesleyville.”
The article adds, “Delighted applause and cheers erupted in the room as Sills announced the board’s decision, one hour and 40 minutes into the proceedings. The proposal had faced significant opposition from local residents since 2009, when former mayor Linda Thompson first wrote to the company signalling Port Hope’s welcoming attitude to new business. More than 100 of those opponents were present at the Town Park Recreation Centre Tuesday to hear the OMB ruling.”
The Northumberland chapter worked with Port Hope Residents For Managing Waste Responsibly (PHR4MWR) in the fight against this incinerator, raised concerns about the facility at municipal council meetings in Northumberland County, Hamilton Township, Trent Hills, Cobourg and Cramahe Township. They also launched a petition that said, “The creation of a ‘Landfill in The Sky’ is simply not good for people, not good for politicians, not good for health issues and certainly not good for business.”
The chapter opposed the incinerator over concerns that it would release chemicals and microscopic particulants into the air and eventually into the water. The proposed plant would have processed up to 540,000 tonnes of garbage a year, even though Port Hope produces less than 5,200 tonnes of municipal waste per year, and all of Northumberland County combined produces less than 35,000 tonnes of waste per year. The vast majority of the waste would have been trucked from a 100-kilometre radius to the facility.
Congratulations to the Northumberland chapter, Port Hope Residents For Managing Waste Responsibility and everyone who contributed to this win!
Further reading
WIN! Port Hope council votes against proposed incinerator (August 2014 blog)
Northumberland chapter against proposed gasification plant (March 2014 blog)
Photo: The Northumberland chapter’s campaign graphic against the incinerator.