The Huron Expositor, 1986-03-05, Page 3NEWS AND FEATURE THE HURON EXPOSITOR, MARCH 5, 1886 — A3
Everyone's talking about garbage
EDi1TOR'S NOTE; This is the first in a from town and country alike were using every
series of •articfes, as recommended by the gravel pit, river embankment, and ditch as
Ministry of the Environment, pertainhig to garbage receptacles. In order to give some
the landfill site search in the municipality of sort of order to the situation and enable the
Seaforth and the Township of Tackersmfth. bylaws to be enforced, the municipalities had
Everyone's talking garbage I It's a subject to supply the citizens with a common place to
that is, pardon the pun, out of site out of take household garbage.
mind. As long as "the Man from Glad" could Not only the rules changed about how you
sppply us with a bag strong enough to get our could get rid of the garbage, but the garbage
soggy, smelly, messy, household garbage to itself changed. Over the years our lifestyles
the curb once a week, we had nothing to have become faster paced and more demand -
worry about. It disappeared from our sight ing. Wehave become a nation of convenience
and, therefore, from our otherwise occupied consumers. The products we purchase now
minds. are often "throw away", from disposable
Until...horror or horrors someone is lighters and razor blades, to the styro coffee
thinking about putting all that garbage right cups, and the cartridges for cameras and
in our backyards! `It's ridiculous." '`It's photocopiers. It seemed to many of us it was
preposterous." "Tut tut, how could they easier to toss it away than clean it and reuse
even consider it?" "Something must be i
done!". Now the subjects of garbage, waste
disposal, and sanitary landfill sites, are the
focus of our attention. Frankly it's about
time.
Each one of us produces a great quantity of
garbage each year. We aren't really con-
sumers as we commonly refer to ourselves --
we are users and what we don't use we toss
away. Just think of the last time you brought
home a bag of groceries and after putting
them away threw out a pile of packaging
before the products were even used.
Producing waste is nothing new. The
cavemen tossed their unused, bones, peel-
ings, and other wastes, about their cave until
the quantity and odor of the rotting refuse
forced them to find a new home. In the middle
ages people simply tossed the pails of slop
and other waste out the windows and onto the
streets below. W e have progressed to the
point where we don't move, utechnological
egaag
does. However, many things
advances have enabled us to produce
that don't decompose as rapidly as the waste
produced in the past. As a result our garbage
tends to pile up. For many of us the fact that it
does pile up is not as important as where it
piles up.
It is this problem of what to do with
garbage and where to do it that is driving area
politicians and concerned citizens crazy.
Waste disposal has become a municipal
issue. Over the years bylaws restricting the that is . most often omitted from any
manner in which citizens may dispose of environmental discussion is people. W e are
household garbage and the places they may not only responsible for our environment we
dispose of it have come into use. At one time are a part of it. Protecting our environment
people living within town or village limits and resultant quality -of life has become of
were able to reduce much of their wastes by such concern to the majority of people that
composting in the backyard, separating and legislation has been introduced toinsure the
reusing many items, and burning the papers air we breathe, the water we drink, the soil we
and wood products. Meanwhile out on the till, and the overall quality of life we enjoy is
farm the same type of situation was present. not negatively affected by poorly planned and
Neither rural people nor residents of small executed decisions.
towns and villages had a great deal of ENVIBONMENTALASSESSMENT
garbage that had to be taken to the local One piece of legislation that was developed
disposal site, or "dump."
fornthe people's
protection Act." is Thisth"Environ-
Times have changed. In urban areas the
s
close quarters made burning not only established in the 1970s and over the years
inconvenient but dangerous as well. Soon has progressed from federal, to provincial, to
bylaws prohibited most burning in towns. At municipal jurisdiction in many areas of
the same time rural areas were beginning to environmental concern. One such area is
look like giant litter containers since people solid. waste disposal and since solid waste
t.
PRODUCE LESS GARBAGE
Rural dwellers often claim they produce far
less garbage than the urbanite. That is not
necessarily so. It is true their milk and eggs
may not come in plastic or styrofoam
containers and the lettuce many not be
wrapped in cellophane, however farming is
no longer the good clean-cut wholesome way
of life it once was. Farmers today use gallons
and gallons of pesticides and insecticides.
They also used bags and bags of fertilizers.
There are many areas that are graveyards for
the containers these products come M. In
small municipalities the waste disposal site is
used extensively by commercial and indus-
trial users as well. Over the years they
too have found it is often cheaper to throw
something away than to try to find some use
for it. The end result is people from all walks
of life and all areas of the community are
producing more and more garbage, and
garbage that is often hazardous to the
environment.
There is that magic word, most we're
expecting to hear right off the bat.
"Environment." One can often hear expres-
sions about those "darned environmental-
ists" or "that '/&?7/d'/ir" environmental
assessment act." For some reason when
people think of the word "environment" they
conjure up images of trees, birds, wild
animals and flowing rivers. The one thing
disposal is a municipal problem, municipali-
ties looking, for solutions to waste manage-
ment problems are finding themselves in the
middle of the procedure known as the
environmental impact study or environment-
al assessment report. Under this new
legislation a series of well defined steps must
be followed by those seeking to find new
methods or places to dispose of municipal
solid waste. It is now virtually impossible for
someone to establish a landfill site or any
other waste disposal project in an area
without following the proper procedure.
One of the most important aspects of
following the E.A. guidelines is that public
input is ensured, Many people believe public
input means attending the public meetings or
hearings scheduled as a part of the E.A.
process, The public meetings are necessary
and very important, but the public can and
should take part along the entire pathway to
the final solution. Understanding the prob-
lem from the beginning, identifying possible
solutions, and choosing the best solution for
the situation, is something all members of the
community should be aware of in order for the
procedure to go smoothly, logically, and to
the satisfaction of the majority.
The first step in the process is to identify
the problem. The problem is we are
producing garbage at an ever increasing rate
and the site where we have been "dumping"
it for the last 30 or so years is full and
scheduled by the Ministry of the Environ-
ment to close in the near future. What are our
alternatives?
The first alternative identified is the
possibility of doing nothing. In this case the
present landfill site would close and the
municipal governments in the area would
make no attempt to establish a new site or
alternative method of disposal. People would
be required to look after getting rid of their
own garbage to the best of their ability. This
could be a very regressive decision. Rural
dwellers may see this as a possibility since
they have the space to bum or bury their own
wastes, Bushes and gravel pits at the back of
many family farms can hide a lot of refuse.
However not everyone would wish to litter
their own backyards, even with their own
wastes. It might be easier to dump it in
someone elses pit or along a steep embank-
ment at the side of the road. Urban dwellers
would have to resort to burning in town and
the thought of hundreds of little smouldering
fires in close proximity to each other is less
than appealing. What could not be burned
would probably end up on the side of some
country road. The litter would be widespread,
uncontrolled and there would be absolutely
no way of knowing what harmful products
were dumped where. As a result the "do
nothing" alternative is usually disregarded
in a situation like ours.
Other alternatives that were identified as
possible solutions to our waste disposal
dilemma were identified as the following.
Expand the existing site.
Use another already existing site in a
nearby municipality.
Develop a new landfill site.
Change from landfilling as a method of
waste disposal to another form eg. incinera-
tion, recyling, separation, etc.
These alternatives must be considered in
great detail in order for the appropriate
alternative to be chosen. Next week we will
follow the environmental assessment process
into the four remaining. ernatives, their
advantages, disadvantag and the•decision
making process.
BATTLING FOR THE BALL — Students of St. James Separate School enjoy anImpromptupr ffle photo
game of broombatl durina the noon hour Monday.
SPEAKING OUT — The zone secondary school public speaking contest was held at the
Clinton Legion on March 1. Winners In the senior division were: back, left, Linda Hearn of
Clinton and Dana Kloss of Seaforth, tied for third; Vicky Hackett of Goderich, first; Karla
King of Wingham, second, Junior winners were: front, left, Karen Montgomery of
Wingham, third; Alex Hoernig of Goderich, first; Rick Lobb of Clinton, second.
Anne Nara ko .holo
JUNIOR SPEAKERS — The Legion zone public speaking contest, was hetd'; at the Clinton
Legion on March 1. Winners In the junior division were: front, left, Tammt Medd, of Blyth,
second: Wong Yee Fun of Ethel; first; Mark Welssonboeek of Kincardine, third. Senior
divlslon winners were: back, toff, Terry Kelly of St. Columban, second; JosDn Dempsey o1
Goderich Robertson Memorial in Goderich, first; Natalie Webb, of Kincardine, third.
Anne NaroJko photo
Riddell pledges free trade fight
BY PATRICK RAFFIS
Provincial Agriculture Minister Jack Rid-
dell condemned the idea of free trade with the
United States and pledged to use the
resources of his ministry to oppose the
concept, in a strongly -worded speech to the
Huron County Davy Producers annual
meeting, on Friday, February28, in Brussels.
"There has never been anything I have
been more concerned about than free trade
with the United States," said Mr. Riddell,
MPP for Huron -Middlesex. "The ultimate
goal of free trade movement as far as the U.S.
is concerned, Is that Canada will become part
of the states," according to comments Mr.
Riddell said he has heard from Americans.
"Unless we're very careful about what we
allow to be traded away, it could very well boil
down to 'Goodbye East-West. Hello North-
South ," " Mr. Riddell said, of the possible
effects of the free trade proposal.
Landfill not one -meeting issue
My compliments to Carolanne Doig for
hitting the nail right on the head in "Only The
Singers Have Changed."
The Seaforth-Tuckersmith landfill site
does not necessarily have to devaluate the
land next to it. It does not have to be an
eyesore to anybody. There can be berms built
up around the site planted with grass and
other vegetation, such as trees and hedges,
which would serve as windbreaks while
hiding the contents of the site. It can also be
systematically tiled to control leachate and
prevent any contamination of rivers and
ground water. ._
The meeting on February 18 was not the
time or place to be supporting the Lagoon
site. It had already been considered and
rejected earlier but, like what has been said
Reader calls for
Harry Pelissero, President of Ontario
Federation of Agriculture and Albert Van
Donkersgoed Secretary -Manager of the
Christian Farmers Federation should be
awarded a Medal of Merit for their recent
straightforward statements outlining the
serious present financial plight of a great
many farmers throughout the world.
While, the seperate assertions expounded
by both of these forward looking gentlemen
should and are commended for their far
reaching suggestions in helping to eleviating
the dilemma of survival for many present
operatiors of one of Canada's earliest
methods of forging out a suitable living
standard, it follows that the powers, be they
financial, political, legal and many allied
brill commodity groups, get their acts
together, to rescue a most essential segment
of Canada's 25 million peace loving populace.
Not being of the age of those effected, I and
many others still have very vivid recollec-
tions, oral as well as written, of the
ramifications that took place during the great
man made depression in the years 1929-1936
and which still stand out as recorded blotches
on the integrity of our forebearers.
Hopefully, if all currently involved with the
serious financial plight of many of our true
TO THE EDITOR
before, the only people that show up at these
meetings are the people that come to keep it
(the site) away from their own property. If
everyone who attended the three separate
meetings would have been at them all, most
residents concerned with the topic would
have been present. I will be watching at the
next meeting to see any familiar faces.
For those of you who think you're being
railroaded, my opinion is that you should
have some input too. So, where were you
during the other meetings, and why was
there trouble getting people to stand for
election to the landfill site committee? This is
Loss of control over national resources is
one of the things Mr. Riddell fears will
happen to Canada, if border trade restrictions
are dropped. He said the United States is
"running out of fresh water" and covet
Canada's abundant supply.
"There is nothing they would like more,
than to divert our fresh water supply," Mr.
Riddell stated.
Turning to the agriculture industry, Mr.
Riddell, theorized free trade would play
havoc with both producers and processors of
food in this country.
' `Afterputting years of work and financing
into a supply management system which
lends stability to the industry -- it would be a
crime if it had to be reformulated or scrapped
altogether," to accommodate a free trade
arrangement," he said. "We don't want to
have the uncertainties and fluctuations of the
American dairy industry imposed on us in the
name of free trade," added the minister.
why you didn't now which sites were being
considered. if the town clerk hadn't written
you that letter you'd still be in the dark.
Incineration is not an alternative to
landfilling, it only lengthens the life of a
landfill site. After we establish the site we
may consider incineration.
After all is said and done, remember, the
"mess" is not natural. It takes people to
make it and it is going to take the same people
to avoid making it.
Yours truly
Brian Moore
Iona overdue action on farm plight
agriculturalists put forth suitable, acceptable
solutions and implement same a repeat
performance of the belated ill-conceived,
Farmers Creditors Act as passed by the RB.
Bennett Federal Government of Canada,
1934, will not become necessary.
The financial chaos and the monetary scars
which resulted from those drastic measures
50 years ago are still evident among the
descendants of those directly involved For
posterities sake, pray God that the present
guiding powers set about putting their acts
together so that financial stability may -again
prevail among many of our beleaguered farm
friends.
Herb M. Kuntz
Formosa, Ont.
Turbans should be allowed
Although i normally enjoy reading Dave
Broome's viewpoint on contemporary issues,
ifound myself in complete disagreement with
his February 19 column. in that column, Mr.
Broome chastised Clare Westcott for giving
the Sikh police officers of Toronto the right to
wear their turbans while on duty.
In contrast to Mr- Broome, I do not think
Mr. Westeott's decision will infringe upon
the arltural heritage of Canadians.
Instead, I believe this decision reflects the
commitment made by the Canadian govern-
ment to declare Canada a multicultural
country- Furthermore, I feel it is vital that
Toronto, Canada's most cosmopolitan city,
show evidence of this commitment.
I also found Mr. Broome's views on
Mr. Riddell said the current system of
supply management through marketing
boards has, "more than prover it's worth
over the years," and should he retained.
"My ministry will take the lead in pressing
this issue in Ottawa," Mr. Riddell promised.
Food producers are not the Only ones who
would suffer under a free trade system in
agricttlture. Processors would be badly hurt
by American competition, Mr. Riddell
contends. Canadian processors# "can't hold a
candle to the processors uj the U.S.,"
because of the modern equipfnent and low
labor casts available south of the border, he
said.
if the Canadian processing industry is
undermined by American conipetition, Mr.
Riddell said Canadian producers would also
pay the price.
"If the processing is taken over by the
U.S., why would they want Canadian
livestock?" he asked.
1 COMMUNITY CALENDAR
minority religious rights disturbing. To my
way of thinking, Mr. Westcott did not "Cop
out" when he stated he was obliged to follow
the Ontario Human Rights Commission.
Freedom from religious discrimination is part
of the Canadian Constitution, the funda-
mental law of the land.
Inconclusion, I would like to offer my
congratulations to Clare Westcott. The
decision to allow Toronto's Sikh officers to
wear turbans on duty will not undermine
Canadian culture. Instead, I believe it will
help to enrich it. True, traditional dress may
be modified, but, shouldn't any discrimina-
tory tradition be "swept into the dust bin?"
Sincerely
Jane Morton
Wednesday, March 5
1-3 Moms and Tots Skating
1:30-4 Shuffleboard and Euchre
4:30 - 510 Jr. Belles Ringette
5:30.6:30 Ringette
6:30-7 :30 Minor Broomball
7:30-8:30 Centenaires Practice
8:30 - 11 p.m. Ladies Broomball
Thursday, March 6
4:15-5:15 p.m. Atom Practice
5:15-6:15 p.m. Bantam Practice
6:30-7:30 p.m. Minor Broomball
7:30 p.m. Mens Broomball
7 p.m. Seaforth Library is presenting a
film "Karate"
Friday, March 7
4-5 p.m Sr. House League - Cancelled
5-6 p.m. Jr. Houseleague Practice
6-7 p, h. Pee Wee Practice
7-12:30 Jr. Farmers Broomball Tournament
2 p.m. World Dayof Prayer Service will be
held at the Northside United Church with
Cavan United Church Women as host. A
dramatic presentation will be given by
Egnnondville U.C.W. Everyone welcome.
Saturday, March 8
1:30 Story Hour at Library
7:30 a.m. - 5:30 p.m. Jr. Farmers
Broomball Tournament
5:30 - 7 Pee Wees vs Arthur (Playoffs)
7-8:30 p.m. Possible Bantam Game
810 p.m. Centenaires vs Bivssels
Sunday, March 9
1:30-3:30 Public Skating
5-6 p.m. Ringette
6-7 p.m. Ringette
7 pin. Hawks of Flyers
8:30 p.m. Canadians vs Rangers
Monday, March 10
1-3 Public Skating
3.4 Abbot and Costello Corhedy Films
4:30-8:30 Figure Skating
Tuesday, March 11
9 am. • 12 Bowling at Nobel Lanes
7:30 a.m. North Stars vs Oilers
810 a.m. Canadians vs Brims
910 a.m. Whalers vs Penguins
1010 a.m. leafs vs Jets
11:30 am. Flyers vs Flames
1-4 p.m. "Peter and the Wolf' Show
in Exeter
4-5:30 p.m. Atom
5:30-6:30 p.m. Novice
6:30-8 p.m. Bantam
8-10 p.m. Midget
8 p.m. Hospital Auxiliary meeting
will be held in board room at hospital.
Please bring a St Patrick's card.
8:15 p.m. Mrs. Lorne Lawson will he
hostess for Seaforth Women's Insti-
tute meeting. Bring a hobby that you
worked at in the winter time.
Wednesday, March 12
9-12 Sports and Games at Arena
1-4 Arts and Crafts at Arena
1-3 Moms and Tots
1:30 - 4 Shuffleboard and Euchre
4:30-510 Jr. Ringette
5:30-6:30 Midget Practice
6:30-7:30 Minor Broomball
7:30-8:30 Centenaires Practice
8:30 p.m Ladies Broomball