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The Goderich Signal-Star, 1978-08-24, Page 74 Charge gov't slack about environment G ODE R tioNAL-STAN, TII:URSDAY, AUGUST 24, 1978—PAGE 7 - BY JACK RIDDELL M.P.P. Recently Liberal Leader Stuart Smith called upon Premier Davis to reconvene the Legislature as soon as possible to discuss the total breakdown in the Government's handling of environmental mat- ters. 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 industrial waste disposal; withdrawal in March of the ban on non- refillable pep bottles, govetpment handling of the $35 -million suit against Dow Chemical for mercury pollution of Lake St. Claire -dropped in favour- of a paltry $250,000 private -set- tlement with affected fishermen; failure to make the Environmental Assessment Act effective and meaningful; failure to develop a policy to -deal with the serioussiroblems of solid waste disposal in Metro Toronto; failure to act on problems of lake acidification in the cot- tage country-, where fish can't survive; and the inability of Ontario to comply with com- mitments to the International Joint Committee on tjie Great Lakes clean-up. Stuart Smith's statement followed - closely upon the an- nouncement 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 demon- strating 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 .ope 350 -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 ----a-t-the-same-tirrre--or-aered the company to reduce its emissions of sulphur dioxide, from 5,200 tonsa...... 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 td restrict tonnage "emissions due to the unpredictability of dispersion 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 naw order permitting INCO to maintain that level until June 30, 1982, simply requesting a report by Decembet 1979 -.evaluating • the feasibility of controlling" the smelter's pollution. Instead of penalizing the offender, the Govern- ment has bent over back- wards to rationalize and excuse failure to comply with the 1970 pollution control order. • Apparently, 1976 statistics'indicate that Sudbury sulphur emissions accounted for only four ' per °cent of North American man- made emissions, and only k3., percent of global emissions. Also, "the problems of high ground level concentrations of sulphur dioxide and widespread acute vegatation damage in the Sudbury area have essentially been resolved even at cutrent emission rate"s." As the Ontario Executive members of Sheaffer Eaton Division of Textron Canada Limited paid their annual visit to the Goderich plant as part of an overall business review last Friday. Left to right are J, W. Thomas, vice-president, international operations, Sheaffer Eaton Textron, Pittsfield, Mass.; B. S. Massie, chairman, Sheaffer Eaton Textron, Pittsfield, Mass.; W. R. Gardner; vice-president and general manager, Sheaffer Eaton Cadada,-Goderich; C. F. Chapin, group vice-president, Textron Inc., Providence, R.I.; and C. D. ° Roberson, vice- president finance, Sheaffer Eaton Textron, Pitt- sfield, Mass. (Photo by Joanne Walters) New residence at CCA Huron -Middlesex MPP Jack Riddell said last week that tenders are now being called for construction of a students residence at Centralia College of Agricultural Technology at Huron Park. The student residence is required by the Ontario Ministry of Agriculture and Food to provide modern and expanded facilities for year-round use of students at the college. A single structure it will contain a series of five pods, each providing accommodation for 40 students and one supervisor. The pods will be linked by a walkway at ground level. This walk- way will adjoin a students lounge located , in each pod allowing for social interaction while maintaining ' a com- munity atmosphere, The main entrance to the new residence will be combined • with the existing Huron Hall. The entrance will lead directly to a common administration area containing offices, an infirmary, change roams and a manager's apar- tment. The heated and air conditioned structure will have a gross floor area of approximately 57,090 square feet. Specifications also call for load bearing concrete Nock walls with brick facing, • double glazed windows, precast con- crete floor, steel deck and beam frames for the roof and site services that include a paved access road andlandscaping. Design and con- struction documents have been prepared by associate architect Paul M. Skinner, London. It is anticipated con- struction will be com- pleted by September 1980. Blind meet in Clinton The Bluewater Canadian Council of the Blind held their regular meeting in the ,Orange Hall, Clinton, the evening of August 15th. A good. attendance was recorded of members and friends. President Gwen Watson chaired the short business meeting. Club program con- vener, Rachel Johnston, introduced Mrs. Edna Baker, who rendered three lovely soprano solos accompanied by Mrs. Lorna Radford at the piano. Investment • Opportunity. Lucknow Co-op Members .41" .110, •P 41, .OP AP 41. nO. • Special Member Loans For new building projects S year member loan 91/2% annually 10 year member loan 10% annually 15 year member loan 1014% annually 20 year member loan 11% annually Information available from your directors or Co-op office Lvolutovr District Co-op .rkt N , Brock Vodden, the speaker of the evening was introduced by Brock Olde. His main topic concerned the basics of interpersonal com- munication. He arranged a group participation to illustrate the practibility of his theme. Government sees it, th International Nicke Company is merely doin the same. as everyone - else: moreover, the 1,25 foot smokestack has dispersbd the emissions to some extent, which has minimized the concern which prompted the issuance of the 1970 o der. Murray Gaunt, Liberal Environment Czitic, believes that if the Government is not prepared to agree to an emergency debate on the environmental I 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." Great Lakes has received some publicity necently, 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 lawsshould 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 uality agreement, to rovide for massive million -dollar) Mies to e paid into an en- ironmental clean-uo und, administered by oth countries to aid ollution research. An fficial of the Ministry of he , •Environment ecently described this tatement by the Premier s a bit of "dramatic ishful thinking". As Dr. Smith has in- icated, the Liberals elieve that the recent e INCO decision is the last 1 straw in a series of inept g Government decisions on environmental 0 issues. ."We are in a period of drift and inaction by the Gover- nment, the results of which could have far reaching and deleterious consequences 'for Ontario." He has indicated that - the Liberal Party would move that the Legislature empower the Standing Committee on Resource Development to meet without delay to review the INCO decision. 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