NIAGARA-ON-THE-LAKE–Remember theLove Canal
Just up the road from that notorious toxic neighbourhood in New York state, there’s a new plan to dump more poisonous waste, including radioactive material, right near Lake Ontario and on an earthquake fault line. New York state officials are now considering whether to permit a company called Chemical Waste Management Inc. to expand its landfill in Youngstown, N.Y., perilously close to the Canadian border — and our shared water.
Just up the road from that notorious toxic neighbourhood in New York state, there’s a new plan to dump more poisonous waste, including radioactive material, right near Lake Ontario and on an earthquake fault line. New York state officials are now considering whether to permit a company called Chemical Waste Management Inc. to expand its landfill in Youngstown, N.Y., perilously close to the Canadian border — and our shared water.
Do we ever learn? The site is less than five kilometres from the Niagara River, already filled with so many chemicals that it’s listed as an official area of concern by the International Joint Commission
that oversees shared Canada-U.S. waters.
that oversees shared Canada-U.S. waters.
Even more concerning for Canadians is that at least once a year, under U.S. permit, the existing New York-side landfill is allowed to dilute the cancer-linked PCBs and other materials it collects and discharge its nasty water into the Niagara River...
David Israelson is a Toronto writer and consultant.
Why aren’t Canadians doing more to stop this plan? The biggest reason is that so far, only a few Canadians seem to know about it.
Gary Burroughs, Niagara’s regional chair (on the Ontario side), says he found out about the scheme only recently, when Burmaster contacted him. He attended a public meeting on the U.S. side on July 16.
“I’ve been trying to raise attention about it since then,” he says.
Why hasn't this drawn government attention?
“I’ve been trying to raise attention about it since then,” he says.
Why hasn't this drawn government attention?
You would think that a problem on the order of toxic and radioactive waste threatening Lake Ontario would draw the attention of the provincial and federal governments, but apparently it hasn’t. It’s
possible that no one on the U.S. side has told the Ontario Environment Ministry anything officially, as this may not be required under law.
possible that no one on the U.S. side has told the Ontario Environment Ministry anything officially, as this may not be required under law.
As for Ottawa, as many Canadians know, the federal government treats environmental protection as an enemy — Prime Minister Stephen Harper has cut environmental programs, muzzled scientists and ordered tax audits of environmental groups. It’s hard to determine what the feds would do
or even if they would care.
or even if they would care.
At the same time, Canada’s environmentalists don’t seem to know about this problem either. A spokesperson for the David Suzuki Foundation, asked about the plan for more toxic waste at the edge of the Great Lakes, expressed shock and surprise.
To make matters worse, Burmaster says that the Chemical Waste Management site is on an earthquake fault line: “Should a quake happen and open the landfill . . . in just one hour those carcinogens and
radioactive particles would become airborne and could be carried 60 miles (100 kilometres) away.”
radioactive particles would become airborne and could be carried 60 miles (100 kilometres) away.”
Not to make this too scary, but as he says, that’s “all the way to the Toronto area
David Israelson is a Toronto writer and consultant.
