Northern Daily News
Wednesday, January 9, 2002
 
Council voices displeasure over recent Bennett meeting
 
JIM PATRICK
Northern Daily News
 
Kirkland Lake:
 
Was it a session to gather information a a proposed soil treatment plant or was chance to strike out at Bennett Environmental.
 
This was the question considered Tuesday at this town's regular municipal meeting.
 
Councillors Todd Morgan and Linda  Cunningham attended an information session to hear the pros and cons of setting up incineration plant to destroy PCBs and dioxins.
 
The gathering was held at Northern College last Saturday, but Morgan came away the impression that, once again, Kirkland Lake is being unfairly targeted by environmentalists. He termed the attitude of many there as "arrogant". "There are people and organizations think they have a monopoly on environmental concerns," he said.
 
Morgan added that this attitude is an insult to community advisory committees, municipal councils and to the ministry of the environment, to think these bodies are not committed to environmental issues.
 
He was not impressed by speakers imported from the United States to comment on the Bennett plant.
 
Morgan added that the material presented by these two wasn't relevant to the proposed Bennett operation.
 
  "Before putting too much stock in their comments, people should review the facts," he commented.
Morgan defended Bennett saying the company has surpassed every environmental standard and
has even set satisfactory new ones in their operations.
 
Coun. Linda Cunningham said she came away from the meeting confident in Bennett's professionalism.
 
"All five participants on the stage agreed that contamination issues need to be addressed."
 
Leaving dangerous waste as is, is not the answer, she concluded, adding the debate is centered on technology.
 
"The Bennett program has the latest methods for dealing with contaminated soil," she observed. "Some spectators at the meeting were biased," she said. "But others were not and they were impressed with Bennett's answers."
 
Coun. Al French added he has no issues with the Timiskaming Federation of Agriculture and he encourages outside interest in Kirkland Lake's projects. However, he also said he is opposed to outsiders trying to make decisions for Kirkland Lakers "or pushing (their agendas down our throats".
 
He said people outside this community need to realize Kirkland Lake needs jobs and industry if the town is to survive.
 
Meanwhile, Mayor Bill Enouy slammed critics who said he should have been at the meeting Saturday. Enouy declared he was not boycotting the meeting. Instead, he said he had made prior commitments to the Canadian Cancer Society to help promote its Relay for Life event - a program that will be officially observed June 7 in Kirkland Lake. He said he also had other obligations to attend to in Haileybury on Saturday, which stopped him from attending the session.