Incinerator affects more than Durham

Dear Editor,

Your recent article about closed-door meetings around the Durham incinerator should have members of the public very concerned. The Durham incinerator did not pass acceptance testing, yet after a number of closed door meetings, Durham council amended the contract to give the go ahead to operate the incinerator and produce more ash.

While it is good to read that an investigation is underway to look into these closed door meetings, it is hard to have confidence that these matters will be fully resolved. Conflict of interest and lack of transparency issues are rampant in Ontario municipalities.
Can the public really depend on investigations conducted by the Association of Municipalities (AMO) and related service groups when municipal politicians are members and/or past members of the AMO board or executive committee?

The Durham incinerator is a huge cost to taxpayers and the environment. The impact of this incinerator goes beyond the physical borders of Durham Region.
All documents on incinerator acceptance testing should be made available to the public, as should all future test results, especially those that include adverse test results. Independent reviews and oversight of all closed meetings is needed to ensure that public interests and the environment are protected.

Kelly Clune