Opposition to the Proposed Durham/York P3 Incinerator is Gaining Steam

OTTAWA--Durham York residents are rallying together this week in opposition to a P3 (Public Private Partnership) incinerator proposal that would handle municipal waste from as far away as Toronto.  The proposed site for the incinerator, which has a projected lifespan of 25 years, is less than a kilometre from the shores of Lake Ontario.  The incineration process creates toxic fly ash which must then be transported to a facility in New York State.

“This incineration proposal is a recipe for an environmental disaster,” said Green Leader Elizabeth May.  “People need to remember that burning waste does not make it disappear. It turns into toxic emissions that then contaminate the surrounding area.”

The Green Party advocates a shift from thinking of waste as a problem to considering waste as a resource. Canada’s failure to manage waste properly represents a huge loss of resources and revenue. Reusing and recycling wastes have been shown to generate ten to fifteen times more jobs than incineration or landfilling. Strong incentives must be put into place for industry and consumers to reduce waste to zero.

“The $236 million set to be spent on this incinerator should be invested in sustainable and innovative waste management programs,” said Amy Collard, Green Critic on Natural Resources. “This situation could be a win-win if we go down a sustainable road, rather than heading down the path toward greater health, environmental and economic risks posed by this incinerator.”

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Contact:
Michael Bernard
Communications Officer
Green Party of Canada
613-562-4916 ext. 244
(c) 613-614-4916
michael.bernard@greenparty.ca