INDEX PCB Digest - 4/21/02
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1) Public Concern Temiskaming - For Immediate Release - 4/20/02
Medical Opposition to PCB Incinerator Continues to Grow
2) Organizing Rally - 4/28/02
Public Concern Temiskaming Rally - Sunday, April 28, 2002 - 1:30 p.m. - Earlton Arena
3) Northern Daily News - 4/19/02 - Letters to the Editor
Doctor feels objections to plant are a health issue, not political
4) Northern Daily News - 4/19/02 - Page 3
AN OPEN LETTER TO THE RESIDENTS OF KIRKLAND LAKE
5) Northern Daily News - 4/20/02 - Front Page
Battle rages on

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1) Public Concern Temiskaming - For Immediate Release - 4/20/02
Medical Opposition to PCB Incinerator Continues to Grow

New Liskeard— Doctors from across Temiskaming are getting involved in the battle against a proposed dioxin / PCB incinerator. In an unprecedented display of public activism, 34 doctors from across this under-serviced region have spoken out about the potential health effects posed by Bennett Environmental’s plan to import and burn dioxin-contaminated materials in a residential neighbourhood in Kirkland Lake.

The medical campaign was begun on April 10th by doctors in the Kirkland Lake area. Initially, ten local doctors released a public statement warning about the danger of siting the incinerator near two grade schools and a day care centre.

“PCBs, dioxins, furans and heavy metals are harmful to fetuses, babies and children, leading to abortions, genetic malformations, cancers and mental and behavioral problems&ldots;The proposed PCB incinerator of Bennett is to be built within a 1.5 km. radius of two elementary schools, a day care, a kindergarten and 240 homes. Therefore, be it resolved that we
the undersigned physicians feel it is not in the public’s best interest to have the Bennett incinerator built this close to schools.”

The Kirkland Lake doctors, however, came under attack by the pro waste supporters for telling “twisted” and “tall tales.” The local paper, the Northern Daily News, led off with an editorial attacking the doctors’ credibility in addressing the health impacts of dioxin.

Dr. Joseph Gold, a family therapist in Haileybury, says the attack on the Kirkland Lake doctors was a wake up call for the entire medical community across the district.

“I think the doctors of this region, quite rightly saw the backlash against the Kirkland doctors as an attack on fundamental duty of physicians to speak the truth about health issues,” says Dr. Gold. He says that doctors from across the region have taken up the cause and signed on to the statement. The vast majority of the region’s medical community has now come out in vocal opposition to the incinerator.

“Thank God our doctors had the courage to speak out,” says Dr. Gold. “They are professionals. They know what is at stake with burning dioxins. Their stand sends a clear message that our health will not be traded for a few jobs.”

The doctors have been joined in their concern by District School Board One, which has also raised its voice against the burning of toxic waste near local grade schools.

For more information contact:
Dr. Joseph Gold (705) 672-5701
Barb Bukowski (Public Concern Temiskaming) (705) 567-4837
-30-

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2) Organizing Rally - 4/28/02
Public Concern Temiskaming Rally - Sunday, April 28, 2002 - 1:30 p.m. - Earlton Arena

Public Concern Temiskaming
invites you to an
Organizing Rally
April 28th
at the
Earlton Arena
1:30 p.m.

IF YOU ARE CONCERNED ABOUT THE DANGEROUS EFFECTS OF BURNING PCBS,
THEN THIS IS THE PLACE TO BE

TOGETHER WE CAN KEEP THE NORTH CLEAN

OUR FUTURE DEPENDS ON IT

FOR MORE INFORMATION PELASE CALL 705-647-1533

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3) Northern Daily News - 4/19/02 - Letters to the Editor
Doctor feels objections to plant are a health issue, not political

To the editor:

I was completely appalled by the editorial 'Doctors tell twisted tale.'

What the people of Kirkland Lake do not realize is that while Bennett has studies suggesting it is safe to incinerate PCBs, there are countless other studies published in peer-reviewed journals suggesting otherwise.

The U .S. Environmental Protection Agency has deemed that there is no safe level of dioxins.

As a physician, I am well versed in reading and interpreting scientific studies and coming up with an educated, informed opinion.

Conflict of interest is well recognized in scientific research to result in biased conclusions.

There are countless examples of substances once deemed to be safe by companies and governments that were substantially proven to be dangerous including tobacco, asbestos, urea formaldehyde, thalidomide, cisapride, lead gas ...

This is much more of a health issue than a political one, and as such, physicians are highly trained in the ability to critically evaluate many scientific issues, which evidently is not appreciated by Mr. Enouy.

It is this sort of attitude, which is cultivated by local media and municipal politicians, that has finalized my decision to no longer work in this community.

I will be closing my practice at the end of June 2002.

Marianne Talman,MD ,
Swastika

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4) Northern Daily News - 4/19/02 - Page 3
AN OPEN LETTER TO THE RESIDENTS OF KIRKLAND LAKE

from Kirkland Lake Physician Retention and Recruitment Trust & " The Heartbeat Campaign"
 

Following recent events regarding the proposed Bennett Project, the Kirkland Lake Physicians Retention and Recruitment Trust has received comments and feedback from numerous residents.

We need to remember the views of some are not the views of all, and in most cases these views are expressed honestly and thoughtfully. Often we will disagree with each other's views or each other's methods, but that is our right in a free society.

Part of what the Trust does is give financial support to doctors, as an incentive to come here or to help retain them by reducing their expenses and acknowledging their efforts. We understand that some people feel the doctors they have supported have not returned that support. But remember, when you donate your time or your money to the Heartbeat Campaign you are really supporting Kirkland Lake and our future.

Our objective is a strong, vibrant medical community, supported by involved, committed citizens. Clearly, it is only with a healthy amount of mutual respect that our objectives become achievable.

The Trust and the Heartbeat Campaign will not allow this incident to divert us from our goal and our vision. It may be time to design a new relationship between our doctors and our community. We are already looking at new ways to do things.

Doctors will come and go, people will come and go, but Kirkland Lake will be here and we need to keep working together, for the benefit of all.

April 18, 2002

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5) Northern Daily News - 4/20/02 - Front Page
Battle rages on
Proposed Bennett facility discussed at school board meeting

Jim Patrick
Northern Daily News

Kirkland Lake:

The battle over Bennett went through another interminable round Friday this time with the Northeastern Catholic District School Board meeting this month at St. Jerome School.

Neither side brought forward much new information over the proposed thermal plant designed to treat soil. The plant is scheduled to be set up at the end of the year on Archer Drive, providing it meets all the criteria set by the Ontario Ministry of the Environment. The final document in the environmental assessment process is expected about the third week of May.

The public will have a chance to comment on that study which will then go to the Ministry of the Environment. If there are no hitches, final approval is expected by November or December.

Trustees agreed to hear presentations from both sides, but refrained from taking a position until they have a chance to study the matter.

Public Concern Timiskaming is taking issue that the proposed plant, designed to incinerate PCBs and other contaminates, will be located about a kilometre and a half from St. Jerome School.

The board was to hear from Dr. Richard Denton, but, since he could not make the meeting Friday, Pierre Belanger, another major PCT supporter from Earlton, made the presentation instead.

Danny Ponn, chief operating officer, appeared before the board on behalf of Bennett.

PCT's Belanger said his group was concerned over the possibility of unburnt toxic contaminants impacting Kirkland Lake from a plant to be licensed within "the narrow view" of the Ministry of the Environment.

The environmental group attempted to sway trustees to their side over health issues that could result from a plant only a short distance away from the school.

In rebuttal, Ponn argued that the Quebec plant, located in St. Ambroise, has been successfully operated without hazards and that housing subdivisions are located between 400 and 500 metres of the plant.

The Archer Drive plant would be 700 metres from the nearest house in Chaput Hughes and over a kilometre away from St. Jerome School.

Public Concern Timiskaming attacked the process Bennett plans to use in its incineration process saying the company is bringing in 1980s technology with the potential for mishaps that would spread health-endangering dioxins and other waste.

Bennett's Ponn denied his company was using outdated technology, that the plant they were building will use equipment built in 1996 and that it will operate to better standards than those currently in place by the provincial and federal governments.

Meanwhile, PCT's Belanger refuted, "It is not unreasonable to consider the realities of mechanics and that malfunctions are bound to occur."

He said he had a copy of a letter of resignation from a former Bennett manager who said he quit because he was not allowed to shut down the St. Ambroise plant over concerns about its operation.

Jean Pierre Bouchard declared he had no real powers to stop or not stop the plant in St. Ambroise. Operations at that plant resumed in February, 1998, to treat soils contaminated with PCBs, Bouchard stated it was his judgment the process needed verifications and adjustments. He further added employees there had not received sufficient training.

In an interview with this newspaper afterwards, Ponn admitted their plant manager resigned over the issue. He said the manager did not want to do the test burn for reasons Ponn said were unclear.

Ponn conducted the burn and it turned out successful.

A new piece of information brought forward by PCT is the number of medical doctors opposed to the plant is growing. Environmental consultant Ambrose Raftis, a PCT member, stated nine out of 14 doctors signed an anti Bennett petition but now that number has grown to 30. The other opposed MDs are from the south end of the district, however.

In presenting the Bennett side, Ponn said PCB, dioxins and furans already exist in our environment and the responsible thing is to clean them up.

He said leaving them in contaminated soil will only further spread the problem as these toxic substances reach the ground water.

Prior to the meeting, Belanger himself told this reporter he recognized the problems that exist in Lake Timiskaming where mercury and arsenic levels were discovered in the lake 20 years ago not far from where the Town of Haileybury was sourcing its drinking water. Those toxic substances were leached into the creeks and watershed from mines developed in the Cobalt area at the turn of the last century. ,

Belanger said elements of these contaminants have been discovered as far south as Ottawa.

Ponn said the need is becoming urgent in cleaning up sites contaminated in the past by lax industrial standards. Charlie Angus was the only trustee to ask questions. The Cobalt trustee who opposed the Adams Mine Landfill project and who supports PCT questioned the process whereby a company testing the stack emissions is being paid by Bennett

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