The Wingham Advance Times, 1995-09-27, Page 3County to look at alternatives
GIODERICH — Pushed by the
Concerned Citizens of Ashfield
and Area and by some of their
own councilors and spurred on
by the Progressive Conservative
provincial government decision
to allow incineration of garbage.
Huron County council Thursday
agreed to look at alternatives oth-
er than a proposed landfill site in
Ashfield Twp.
Council was acting on a recom-
mendation of the waste manage-
ment sub -committee from a spe-
cial meeting held Sept. 6. The
committee had met with a repre-
sentative of Ashfield Twp. coun-
cil and with members of the Con-
cerned Citizens.
The groups asked for a study of
alternatives to the landfill site and
for a peer review (by another con-
sultant) of the work done by Gore
& Storrie Ltd., the consultant's
acting for the county in the waste
management master plan. Council
agreed to the study but postponed
a decision on whether to conduct
a peer review until after Ashfield'
site officially becomes a "pre-
ferred" site. That won't come un-
til the Stage 2D report of the mas-
ter plan study is submitted in
December.
Until the Ashfield site officially
becomes a preferred site it would
be wasteful to conduct a peer
study, said Jack Coleman, reeve
of Stanley Twp. and chair of the
planning and development com-
mittee. Ashfield council had
brought Rick Todd of M.M. Dil-
lon consulting firm to the meet-
ing. He estimated a cost . of
$27,500 to conduct the peer study
of Gore $ Storrie's work. Gore &
Storrie suggested they would need
$15,900 to provide the informa-
tion M.M. Dillon would require
for the study. However, once the
Stage 2D report is issued some of
Gore & Storrie's cost would be
reduced.
But with word that the provin-
cial government would no longer
rule out use of incineration, sever-
al councillors were more recep-
tive to ask fora study of alterna-
tives. While a report by Gore &
Storrie to the Sept. 6. meeting con-
cluded Huron is still unlikely to
have enough garbage to support
an incinerator without bringing in
outside garbage, Mason Bailey,
reeve of Blyth, pointed to an arti-
cle in The Toronto Star of Sept. 2.
In it small incinerators built by
Eco Waste Solution were de-
scribed as being able to handle the
waste of a community of only
1,000 people with the cost of
starting at only $250,000. Such a
system is currently in use at the
Canadian Forces Base at Alert
near the north pole.
"It would he quite feasible for
about four municipalities to han-
dle their own garbage at home,"
Bailey said. He urged council to
look at such alternatives because
"regardless of how much ntoney
Alternatives_ Huron has agreed to look at some,
we spend (in studying the Ash-
field site) the people just don't
want it. The technology that's
coming on stream means we may
not need landfill sites."
But while several other council-
lors supported the idea of inciner-
ation, Davidson warned that isn't
an easy solution. The criteria for
siting an incinerator are very dif-
ferent than those for a landfill, he
said, and while incineration may
be a popular idea now, when an
incineration location is proposed
there is generally as much adverse
public reaction as for a landfall.
Also, he said, if the county starts
looking at incineration, the Ash-
field site could be on hold for
years, continuing the disruption in
the lives of area residents.
Bailey, who has been arguing
for a' second look at alternatives
since he took his seat on council
last December, said that while he
was encourage& that there had
been a change of attitude by coun-
cillors he hoped they wouldn't
zero in on incineration as the only
alternative to landfill. With the
growing value of recyclables, he
said, there are private companies
interested in getting garbage 'and
the best alternative may be having
one of these emerging companies
take the county's garbage.
Meanwhile Pamela VanDyke,
impact committee chair of the
Concerned Citizens read a letter
to councillors denouncing the pre-
liminary impact study being con-
ducted by Keir Consultants Inc.
Only 10 families, residents locat-
ed within 1,000 metres of the pro-
posed site were included in the
questionnaire. People were al-
lowed to study the questions in
advance, and some of the ques-
tions were very personal, Van -
Dyke argued. Most residents re-
fused to co-operate in answering
the questionnaire under the cir-
cumstances, she said.
Craig Metzger, master plan
study co-ordinator, said this was
the first of a number of studies
and would be used primarily to
discover how large a community
was involved. The survey was to
determine where people shopped,
where they went to church and
where children went to school so
the size of the affected communi-
ty could be judged. Already, he
said, the consultants have decided
that there would have to be 100
families involved in the coming
'surveys ipstead of the 50 that had
originally been estimated.
Brian McBurney, reeve of
Turnberry, felt the 'one kilometre
radius of the site was too small
but Metzger said originally the
master plan study criteria called
for only 500 metres but only one
household would have been in-
cluded so the area was doubled.
Coming studies would include a
wider area, he said.
VanDyke illustrated the stress
area residents have suffered when
she said there is great fear, uncer-
tainty and anger in the communi-
ty. She related how her young
daughter had come to her crying
wondering if they would have to
leave their home. "When there are
fair alternatives to a landfill site,
isn't it just common sense to
choose one of them?"
Meanwhile one farmer living in
the area claims he is already af-
fected by the site. Ted Vander-
velde told the Planning and De-
velopment committee Aug. 14
that he wanted to sell his farm be-
cause of his health but no one
wanted to buy it because of the
possibility of the dump nearby.
He has requested that the county
compensate him for any reduction
in the final selling price. The
county has a program in place to
compensate for hardships such as
this and Vandervelde was invited
to submit a written request.
Ontario has ...
young people, aged 6 - 18.
We're looking for 12 of the best!
Do you know a young person, aged 6 to
18 years, who is involved in,worthwhile
community service or a special person
who is contributing, while
living with a physical or
psychological limitation? Do ..
you know a youth who has
performed an act of heroism?
The Ontario Community Newspapers
Association, with Bell Canada as the
patron, is looking to recognize these
"good kids"; the young people of our
province who show a commitment to
making life better for others.
To nominate an Individual or a group of
young people for -the Ontario Junior
Citizen of the Year Award, please
contact this newspaper or
the OCNA at 905-844-0184.
Nominations for this year's
awards will be accepted until
October 31, 1995. Every nominee
will receive a certificate and up to
12 individuals and one group will be
the recipients of a plaque presented by
the Lieutenant Governor of Ontario, an
Ontario Junior Citizen of the Year lapel
pin, $200 and a family portrait with the
Lieutenant Governor.
NOMINATION FORMS - are available by contacting this community newspaper
or OCNA at 905-844-0184
ONTARIO
JUNIOR CITIZEN
OF THE YEAR
AWARDS
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community
nswsoanors
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Inadequate
cost Huron. ra
BY HEATHER MIR
Special to the Advance -Times
CLINTON — The Huron County Board of Education
is facing many funding challenges, including gov-
ernment cutbacks and funding reductions.
Another challenge for rural boards is making up
the shortfall in funding which occurs when crown
wards or "parachute" students require additional sup-
port in the classroom. In the past, boards could apply
for extra support for teacher assistants but this is no
longer the case.
Parachute students are frequently sent from the
'golden horseshoe' and Metro Toronto to group
homes in rural areas of the province including Hu-
ron, Grey, Middlesex and Muskoka. these students
are in the care of various children's aid societies,
group homes and other facilities. A number of crown
wards are considered high need students who require
one-on-one teacher assistant support.
"why are the numbers greater here?" asked Town-
ship of Stephen Trustee Bob Heywood.
....Director Paul Carroll responded that the active
community living organizations and group homes in
our geography are part of the reason there is a high
number of these students in Huron.
Board administration has been trying to rectify the
disproportionate number of parachuted kids which
places part of the cost of educating these students on
the shoulders of the Huron County taxpayer.
"The extra expense is coming back to fall on the
shoulders of Huron County property taxpayers," said
Carroll:
Carroll gave the board an example of the costs in-
curred by placing a parachute student from the Cath-.
olic Children's Aid Society for Hamilton -
Wentworth. In this case the student was identified as
"behavioral Al", requiring one-on-one teacher as-
sistant support. The estimated cost of •a full-time
teacher assistant and supplies is $22,663 per year.
The tuition fee recovery, if approved, is $14,686,
leaving a shortfall of $7,977. The balance is current-
lypicked up by local ratepayers. Despite the funding
shortfall, the board does not have the legal authority
to refuse these students admission.
Administration has worked locally lobbying the
Ministry of Community and Social Services to fund
shortfalls. MPP .for Huron Helen Johns has been
made aware of the board's concern and the adminis-
tration believes there is a need to get action at the
provincial level which will ensure each board funds
the balance of the cost for its own students.
"We have had a degree of success to get the tax-
payer off the hook," said Carroll, who is looking at a
number of ways to solve the problem.
Economics not great at Bruce
Continued from front page
lay off a workforce of more than
500 people.
"It's very significant,"' Fisher
said of the utility rates problem at
the BEC. She said the Integrated
Energy Development Corporation
has 28 international patents for its
synthetic fuel process, and wants to
take the next step in its develop-
ment plans.
"They can't wait forever," Fisher
said about the IEDC. Canadian
Agra has already put some, of its
development on hold, she noted, ar=
guing the BEC "will not be in very
good shape whatsoever" if both de-
velopers leave.
"we may have to get a bit ram-
bunctious" in the search for solu-
tions to problems at the BEC and '
BNPD, Fisher. predicted.
Fisher and IEDC representatives
travelled to Toronto to meet with
Ontario Hydro's Maurice Strong
earlier this month to discuss• utility.
• rates. Fisher recalled that two years
ago Strong called the BEC "a world
of sustainable development".
"What we're trying to do is re-
mind •him of that and ask for his
support in bringing some of these
things to fruition," Fisher said.
Bruce County now faces another
hurdle in its effort to get a new offi-
cial plan in place by the end of
1996.
Country Harvest
Breads
$ 59
675 gr
Bright's
Tomato Juice
• 1.36E
.l "' Campbell's
Cream of
Mushroom Soup
284 mL
Beatrice
Orange Juice
$1 79
1.89L
GROCERIES
Schneider's Corned Beef 4X50 gr pouch 3.59
McCain Frozen Orange Juice 355 mL .89
Dad's Root Beer or Creme Soda 4X355 mL ... 2.99
Crisco Oil 1 L 2.89
Kismet Margarine 1 Ib. tub .59
Fresh Boneless Blade Roasts 2.39/Ib. .
FROM THE DELI
Schneider's Blue Ribbon Bologna
Piller's Black Forest Ham
Schneider's Jumbo Summer Sausage
2.194e
3.99 b
4.9%
We carry Fear's Local Honey Products
We have Super - Jet Carpet Cleaning Rentals
•
fr
..nywhere in Tim
Any Day or the week