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HomeMy WebLinkAboutTimes-Advocate, 1978-08-24, Page 5| By JACK RIDDELL || MPP Huron-Middlesex Environmental concern Recently Liberal Leader Stuart Smith called upon Premier Davis to reconvene the Legislature as soon as possible to discuss the total breakdown in the Govern­ ment’s handling of en­ vironmental matters. He set out a number of issues which have been mishandled by the present Minister of the Environment, who assumed his position in January of this year. The issues cited were Absence of a provincial policy for toxic liquid in­ dustrial waste disposal. Withdrawal in March of the ban on non-refillable pop bottles. Government han­ dling of the $35-million suit against Dow Chemical for mercury pollution of Lake St. Clair - dropped in favour of a paltry $250,000 private settlement with affected fishermen. Failure to make the Environmental Assessment Act effective and meaningful. Failure to develop a policy to deal with the serious problems of solid waste disposal in Metro Toronto. Failure to act on problems of lake acidification in the cottage country, where fish can’t survive. The inability of Ontario to comply with commitments to the International Joint Com­ mittee on the Great Lakes clean-up. Stuart Smith’s statement followed closely upon the announcement of the Government’s decision to relax an eight-year old air pollution control order on International Nickel Co. Ltd., which has been described as demonstrating the hopeless irony of Ontario pollution enforcement policies. In 1970, the Ontario Ministry of the Environment ordered INCO to stop using two 500-foot chimneys and one 350-foot chimney at its smelting plant at Copper Cliff, West of Sudbury. INCO complied, replacing the stacks with a 1,250 foot chimney in 1972. However, the Ministry at the same time ordered the company to reduce its emissions of sulphur dioxide from 5,200 tons a day in 1970 to 4,400 tons by the end of 1974, 3,600 tons by the end of 1976 and 750 tons by the end of 1978. According to the Ministry, this order was based “on a need to restrict tonnage emissions due to the unpredictability of disper­ sion under all weather conditions” and “on potential adverse effects on vegetation, soil and water in a large area surrounding Sudbury.” Today INCO continues to emit 3,600 tons a day. Yet the Ministry has issued a new order permitting INCO to maintain that level until 30th June, 1982, simply requesting a report by December 1979 “evaluating the feasibility of controlling” the smelter’s pollution. Instead of penalizing the offender, the Government has bent over backwards to rationalize and excuse failure to comply with the 1970 pollution control order. Apparently, 1976 statistics indicate that Sudbury sulphur emissions accounted for only 4 percent of North America man-made emissions, and only 1.3 percent of global emissions. Also, “the problems of high ground level concentrations of sulphur dioxide and widespread acute vegetation damage in the Sudbury area have essentially been resolved even at current emission rates.” As the Ontario Govern­ ment sees it, the Inter­ national Nickel Company is merely doing the same as everyone else: moreover, the 1,250 foot smokestack has dispersed the emissions to some extent, which has minimized the concern which prompted the issuance of the 1970 order, Murray Gaunt, Liberal Environment Critic, believes that if the Government is not prepared to agree to an emergency debate on the environmental control order, “the best thing would be for George McCague (Environment Minister) to resign...I think he’s sold out to big business (in that he’s) agreed to almost five times the previously set limit for the next four years.” The condition of the Great Lakes has received some publicity recently, following release of a report by the Pollution from Land Use Activities Group, which indicates that both the United States and Canada have adequate laws to prevent lake pollution, but the laws should be enforced more strictly. The group is urging broader and stronger control measures. During the last Provincial Election, Premier Davis, in a tough statement, called for the revision of the Canadian- U.S. Great Lakes water quality agreement, to provide for massive (million dollar) fines to be paid into statement by the Premier as a bit of “dramatic wishful thinking.” As Dr. Smith has in­ dicated, we believe that the recent INCO decision is the last straw in a series of inept Government decisions on environmental issues...“We are in a period of drift and inaction by the Government the results of which could have far reaching and deleterious consequences for Ontario.” He has indicated that our Party would move that the Legislature empower the Standing Committee on Resource Development to meet without delay to review Times-Advocate, August 24, 1978 the INCO decision. As the Legislature is not currently sitting, a special session would be the only way that a legislative committee could be empowered to carry out such a review prior to October, when the Legislature is at present scheduled to reconvene. Advertise Your Sale In The Times-Advocatp CANNING TIME IS HERE See us for Great Price on DEEP FREEZERS &$ a Choose from 12 15'- 18'-23' & ! models THE PRICE IS RIGHT 26' ty'. ? With soaring grocery prices, one almost believes it impossible to Save on the food budget - Not Sol Leave it to us to help cut your food costs. Kelvinator freezers allow you to take ad­ vantage of supermarket specials - stock up on inseason specials, and feast on your savings throughout the entire year. WHITING'S • Warehouse Furniture and Appliances Unlimited (New and Used)Sales and Service 235-1964MAIN ST.Exeter an environmental clean-up research. 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