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The Sounds of
Christmastime
14 New street, (kms
County learns insurance
won't pickup asbestos tab
richsignalstarcom
Dominique Milburn Goderich Signal -Star
North Street United Church was filled with music and song November 29 as part
of the Christmas edition of the annual Sound of Goderich event. The music of the
Harbourairies, Goderich Laketown Band, MacKay Choristers, and the Huron HARP
School echoed through the pews filled with attendees. See page 4.
All babies ce
s Will receive a
ie 1` t , t i i when aving their photo taken with Santa!
Badatypop ' emand...
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Huron County Councillors
that were hoping their insurer
could pick up the tab for an
asbestos -laced courthouse
received some unwelcome news
at the Nov. 30 session in Clinton.
Derek Sarluis, vice-president
of the Frank Cowan Insurance
Company, was on hand to report
that the county's insurance
policy is broad enough to state
that whether asbestos was blown
in or was on site in the wake of
the Aug. 21 tornado is irrelevant
given that any type of asbestos
cleanup is excluded from
policies as' an industry -wide
standard.
"That is the message we have
to deliver," says Sarluis.
During a question period with
councillors, Coun. Paul Klopp
(Bluewater) suggested it seems
unfair that the county could not
tender out which company
would be entrusted to tackle the
asbestos cleanup project at the
courthouse, but Sarluis says the.
county could have chosen
another contractor though given
the nature of the work, the costs
would've been about the same.
"We had to act quickly. We had
to get that courthouse cleaned
up, says Sarluis.
Meanwhile, Coun. Deb Shew-
felt (Goderich) says it seems
ironic insurance companies
won't insure businesses as an
industry -wide standard given
there are companies in Quebec
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that still ship asbestos.
"How did it become such an
issue?" asked Shewfelt. "To me, I
think, it's gone over the top."
While noting the Ministry of
Labour sets the standard for
asbestos cleanup, Sarluis said
asbestos became a concern after
a number of claims were settled
in the U.S., relating to cancers
caused by asbestos.
"The Ministry of Labour said it
can't be in the workplace," says
Sarluis. "Has it gone over the
top? It's like any situation when
you're trying to correct a situa
tion that's gone on for years."
In questioning whether
the originator of the asbestos
contamination could be handed
the bill for the cleanup, Coun.
Joe Sterner (Huron East) says it
could be a liability .issue.
"That be the needle in the
haystack, I think," says Sarluis,
adding even if the culprit was
found, they would be unlikely to
pick up the estimated $990,000
tab since their insurance would
not cover it either.
County CAO Larry Adams
notes the county has applied for
Ontario Disaster Relief Assist-
ance Program funding to help
pick up the cleanup project's
tab.
`Organizational Review'
After holding several sessions
that excluded county adminis-
trators, including CAO Larry
CONTINUED > PAGE 8