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HomeMy WebLinkAboutThe Citizen, 1993-05-05, Page 6If you think you don't know a woman who is a victim of violence ...Look again! The woman down the street, your co-worker, your best friend—anyone can be a victim of violence. As neighbours and friends, we all have a role to play in ending the abuse of women. For the safety of our homes and communities, let's put an end to violence against women. Violence against women hurts us all. 141 Status of Women Canada Condition feminine Canada CanadN PAGE 6. THE CITIZEN, WEDNESDAY, MAY 5, 1993. Poor showing at landfill committee meeting By Bonnie Gropp If attendance is any indication the residents of Blyth do not seem too concerned about accepting Turn- berry Twp.'s waste at the Blyth/Hullett landfill site. Only 15 people attended the Blyth meeting in the Bainton Art Gallery to provide input to the landfill committee regarding the Tumberry request and to the imple- mentation of a recycling program. A meeting held in Hullett Twp., April 26, also attracted just 15 peo- ple. Art Clark of Maitland Engineer- ing Services Ltd. was chairperson for the evening. He welcomed everyone present and casually remarked on the turnout saying, "Obviously we are not a big draw." A brief presentation from the landfill site committee and from Tumberry Reeve Brian McBurney outlined the proposal. The problem has arisen due to the fact that the Tumberry site is full. The township undertook an intensive recycling program which has seen the total township waste drop to under 1/4 ton per year. The provincial average is one ton or better, said Reeve McBumey. The waste, which is strictly household waste, would be brought to the Blyth/Hullett site by truck once a week during regular hours of operation. Blyth/Hullett landfill site has a present life expectancy of 14 years. Should it agree to the proposal, it's estimated this would decrease to 12 years. However it is expected that the county will be in place by 1997., Reeve Dave Lee said the Min- istry of the Environment will allow one exemption for a municipality under 1500. Gary Kay of the Min- istry said that if such a proposal was brought to the committee in the future they would need to have a hearing with MOE. Concerns about the Ministry changing this regula- tion were soothed when Mr. Kay noted that amending legislation takes time. This particular legisla- tion hasn't been changed since the Act started in 1973. Also he said, the final word would be with the ratepayers. "It's your landfill site. You have the final say." The questions of the ratepayers, for the most part, echoed those of the Monday meeting. Reeve Lee assured everyone that there was no question a county site will be opened in the not too distant future. Despite probable opposition from landowners affected by the candi- date site location, Reeve Lee said it will proceed. He explained that the reason the county failed the last time was that it attempted to pre- serve agricultural land, which meant they picked sites unaccept- able for landfill sites. With the des- ignation upgraded to better quality farmland there will be literally thousands of potential sites in the county, he said. One ratepayer noted that while that might be the case there was going to be opposition. "Agreed," said Reeve Lee, "but if, it comes down to it, the county will expropriate the land. We have to have a county site." Bill Manning, who once served on the landfill committee, opposed the proposal saying his principal concern was for water quality. He was assured by Mr. Clark and Arne Spivey, also of Maitland Engineer- ing Services that there are seven observation wells at the site which are monitored along with the sur- face water at the pond. "It is my understanding that there is no sign of degradation," said Mr. Clark The reports are available at the clerk's office for anyone interested, he said. As a final comment Blyth resi- dent John Stadelmann said, after looking at a fact sheet listing Blyth's population, "It appears to me that 885 people really don't care whether we take Turnberry's waste or not. I think the landfill site has a pretty clear mandate of what it can • do." The second part of the evening dealt with the proposal for a recy- cling program in Blyth and Hullett. Mr. Kay provided an overview of the success of the government's ini tiative to reduce waste and suggest- ed various proposals for the municipalities to consider. Presently, he said, there is fund- ing available for municipalities to_ begin recycling programs. Both Reeve Lee and Tom Duizer, representing Hullett expressed sup- port for a recycling program, but agreed they would be exclusive to each municipality. Reeve Lee said he wanted to hear Blyth residents' views on what type of program would be best for the village. One woman stated that she felt it was imperative that Blyth have curb side pick-up as that is what they are used to. "You can not change people's behaviour." Two women from the Londes- boro WI said they were unable to attend the Monday meeting so felt they should come to Blyth to show their support for recycling. "We are 100 percent in favour." Though the funds received from Tumberry for accepting their waste would help implement a program, Reeve Lee added that recycling will begin whether the committee agrees to the Tumberry proposal or not. Councillor Steve Snarling added his views saying council is com- forted now that there is a growing market for recyclable materials. He sees the mix of the two issues as an opportunity for the municipality to be self-reliant. "We have Tumberry with a legitimate problem and Blyth with precious little money in the budget. However, as Dave said, it is not an either/or situation." Hullett donates Hullett Township council at its meeting April 20, approved a grant of $100 to Blyth Minor Sports in recognition of the Bantam boys championship season. Robbie Johnston was hired to cut the grass in the Londesboro ball diamonds at the rate of $30 per cut for the large diamond and $14 per cut for the small diamond. Bryan Gross was hired to cut the grass in the Auburn ball diamond at $50 per cut. Maryann Dross, Bryan Gross and Daryl Mayberry were hired to cut the grass at the township cemeter- ies at a rate of $10.50 per hour. `When is the sponge overloaded?' reader asks Continued from page 4 when is the sponge overloaded? As a conservation minded person, having served Blyth and 28 years on the Maitland Valley Conservation Authority I had the opportunity to hear and later speak to several expert hydrologists working on projects all across Ontario. At that point in time, there was a great concern among responsible people as to the effect of surface water pollution of sub surface water, from surface level sources. Admittedly, the concerns centred around chemical or toxic pollution from surface sources. Remembering as a youngster, that the brook just below our property was crystal clear, and that people drank water from that stream. I, being of a curious nature, enquired of these experts, "Did they themselves see the rise in the stream pollution having any danger of eventually polluting our underground water table?" The answer was guarded. However, I was given the example of the sponge from one of these learned men. When I further enquired as to the possibility of a common link between deteriorating water quality and the increases we have seen in deaths of loved ones the answer I got was: "I am not a medical person, I deal only in water, its qualities, and courses, mainly underground. You will have to ask medical people about any link". Which I did. Before leaving the hydrologists, I asked a further question of them. Did they think that surface pollution was a threat to the water table and our major source of fresh drinking water? The straight forward answer I received from one gentleman was — "Have you ever noticed water does not defy gravity, water always seeks a lower level." They would not deny the possibility of fissures in the aquifer that could permeate pollutants into the vast underground storage of fresh drinking water. If this were to happen, miles of the water under- ground could become polluted. Granted the surface source would have to be huge in proportion. However, they did not deny that surface pollutants could reach the underground aquifer. No one can deny seeing large tanker trucks of fresh Ontario spring water passing through Blyth every day of the week. I sat one night and in one hour's time, I counted six big trucks carrying Ontario spring water to the U.S. — that is big business, and is becoming larger. To the Blyth/Hullett people not at the meeting Wednesday night, I have a few questions I would like to ask. Do you not care for your own health or the health of your children? Would you get your drinking water from a puddle? Do you prize the quality of the water you now enjoy? Do you want to buy your drinking water from the store? Do you think that landfill sites improve the quality of the ground water? I doubt it. For sure someone is going to accuse me of scare tactics. I certainly am scared, and until someone has absolute answers to some of my concerns I will continue to remain scared and on guard. The North American Indian has said and has been ignored "The white people will one day smother in their own pollution". I was told by the Reeve of Turnberry Township that to ship here could mean a probable saving to Turnberry of an estimated $10,000 on trucking only. At the meeting Wednesday night, we were all given copies of some fact sheets. The sheets listed the population of Turnberry Township, serviced by waste disposal, as 1,565 people. When I divide the anticipated saving of $10,000 by the population of 1,565 people; I get a figure that says about $6.39 a person per year. According to the facts sheets handed us Wednesday night; — that would be the only savings to Turnberry residents. Now let us examine what the ratepayers of Blyth/Hullett stand to gain. The combined population, according to the sheets provided, is 2,675 people in total. Dividing the number of people by the possible annual income from Turnberry of $50,000 equals a fraction over $18.69 per person per year. I don't know about you folks, but I certainly would not want to jeopardize the superior quality of our drinking water, for'an amount as insignificant. If you feel as strongly as I do about this, phone your municipal office, ask them to take your name down whether you oppose accepting Tumberry's waste or are for it. Politicians will listen to a united front, they know there is an election coming in another 19 months. Don't leave it to your neighbour to phone in. William A. Manning "Sweetgrass" non de plume.