Thursday, January 10, 2002
 
The Halifax Herald Limited
 
Kirkland Lake cares
 
By Bill Enouy
 
AS MAYOR of Kirkland Lake, Ont., and as one who was mentioned and quoted
in the Jan. 5 Canadian Press story about a U.S. firm taking advantage of
our town, I feel I must respond with a few pertinent facts! I was never
talked to about this story, but I am quoted (from a town council meeting
held last year).
 
Bennett is a Canadian firm listed on the TSE, and founded by a former
Greenpeace member who was looking for environmental solutions in the
recycling area.
 
It was not the present council that originally brought this project to
Kirkland Lake, but the former one under environmentalist mayor Richard
Denton.
 
Dr. Denton endorsed this project, and even went to the Bennett facility
in Quebec before giving it his blessing at open meetings of council.
 
In the municipal election of 2000, 19 candidates ran for office
(including Barb Bukowski) and the Bennett proposal was one of the major
issues, although admittedly not as big as the Adams Mine. All candidates
endorsed this project both in the media and in public debate. Ms.
Bukowski ran a very extensive campaign and only received about 15 per
cent of a very large turnout.
 
Bennett is nearing the end of an extensive and full environmental
assessment, and has produced over 6,000 pages of independent and
scientific reports based on numerous terms of reference laid down by
provincial authorities.
 
This plant has been labelled a PCB incinerator, but less than five per
cent of any soils treated will contain PCBs. A wood-burning fireplace
produces far more damage to the air than this plant ever will by
comparison, all things being equal.
 
I, too, am an environmentalist, but I believe in solutions. Last year, I
visited the state-of-the-art garbage recycling project serving the
Halifax area. I was very impressed, but not so impressed with the state
of sewage disposal in the harbour. I might add that the small town of
Kirkland Lake, poor as we are, has two sewage treatment plants, a
state-of-the-art water filtration plant and a brand new water-pumping
station, all totalling over $60 million in cost. We do care about the
environment!
 
Bill Enouy is mayor of Kirkland Lake, Ont.