Councillors fume over incinerator mistake by the lake

Dear Editor,

Durham’s regional medical health officer, Dr. Robert Kyle, says “a single exceedance doesn’t constitute a health hazard.” May I also suggest that a single “passing grade” doesn’t constitute a safe incinerator either.

With Covanta rejecting ongoing live stack monitoring practices, we will never know how dangerous the emissions are on a daily basis.

Everyone looks like they want a passing grade with the furans and dioxins, and then it’s full tilt burning ahead with no safeguards in place.

As far as the theory of a single “contaminated” load that skewered results, may I remind everyone that garbage is never a consistent beast. This incinerator must be able to handle any and all loads of refuse we produce. It’s clearly failed, not because of the source of the garbage, but because of the failure of design and operation.

No one listened to residents when we said no incinerator.

Politicians like Amy England and Bob Chapman and John Aker of Oshawa voted for the incinerator when they appear to not fully understand the real health risks, (they were warned) and they all went against many residents who opposed the building and operation of this facility.

I’m hoping taxpayers are not on the hook for millions of dollars more for this mistake by the lake.

Bill Steele