Temiskaming Speaker
Wednesday, January 16, 2002
Letters to the Editor
The PCB incinerator controversy
Dear Editor:
I can not understand the great controversy regarding
the merits of operating a PCB incinerator in Kirkland Lake, Ontario.
The company involved, Bennett Environmental Inc., has recently failed
in a bid to build and operate an incinerator in Nelson, British
Columbia. The residents of Nelson refused" to have such a
project in their town. Another PCB incinerator in Swan Hills Alberta,
has operated for the past several years. The resulting contamination
of the environment has forced the government of that Province to
advise its citizens not to eat fish or game within a 30 kilometer
radius of the facility. Butchered deer have been found to have cancer
type tumors growing on their internal organs such as liver, etc.
There are those who would say this could not happen
here for the following reasons.
1) This installation will be “state of the
art” with a clean bum efficiency of 99.999%
2) The material processed in Kirkland Lake will be of
a lower toxicity range than that in Swan Hills.
3) Lessons have been learned from past mistakes and
will not be repeated.
4) The material being treated is merely soil, not
nuclear waste.
These would seem to be very valid reasons for a safe
operating facility but there are certain basic facts that can not be ignored.
1) This is "quarter century old" technology
that has failed, with devastating results in the past. It consists of
equipment and machinery that does break down. It always has and
always will.
2) The material processed may be of a lower toxicity
which simply means it may take somewhat longer to contaminate the
environment, but it will happen.
3) People will operate this proposed facility and, as
in the past, they will make mistakes. They always have and always
will. This is a fact that can't be ignored.
4) I would agree wholeheartedly, that the material
that these incinerators process is not nuclear waste but it is a soil
that no earthworm could ever live in. It is toxic and dangerous which
is exactly the reason why owners of such soil will endure great
financial costs to ship it for hundreds and even thousands of
kilometers just to get rid of it. At this point, it becomes their
solution and our problem.
On closing I would like to say that I totally agree
with the thoughts of an earlier writer, Donald Gauthier, when he says
- “I don't believe for even a fraction of a second that the
proposed PCBs plant near Kirkland Lake is safe with no dangerous long
term side effects on our region". The people of Temiskaming must
make a decision and make that decision known - quickly.
Thank you
Larry Gilbert
Marter Township