Residents in Pontiac, Que. region voice concerns over proposed waste-to-energy garbage incinerator
A proposed waste-to-energy garbage incinerator that could see some of Ottawa’s trash burned there has some residents in the Pontiac region on edge.
The project would see about 400,000 tons of garbage brought in from places like Pembroke, Renfrew County and Ottawa.
On Saturday, dozens of residents gathered in Campbell’s Bay for a meeting. Many were in opposition to the project, voicing concerns over air and water pollution, along with possible health risks.
“It’s impossible to run an incinerator without resulting in emissions of dioxins and some heavy metals and other organic compounds that create cancer,” said Meg Sears, the chair of Prevent Cancer Now.
Brian Lepine has lived in the Pontiac his entire life and was also on hand with his concerns.
“This area is everything to me it’s home, my people are here, my community is here, my family is here,” Lepine said. “Pontiac only produces 5,000 tons of garbage a year and we compost 40 per cent of it, yet we are going to be hauling in 400,000 tons of other people’s garbage to be burned here.”
But Warden Jane Toller says the technology for the incinerator would be state of the art, modelled after plants in Europe.
“What we are looking at is only after all of the waste has been recycled and all the waste possible can be composted, we’re just looking at the residual waste,” said Toller.
The waste would then be converted into energy, which Toller says is a possible solution to the growing problem of waste management, as landfills are decommissioned.
“We would like to further study this and get more information but, I will say it again, I have children and grandchildren and I too want to make sure this is an environmentally safe and healthy solution,” said Toller.
It’s a project that could take many years before becoming a reality. One that is estimated to cost $450 to $500 million dollars.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
BREAKING Alice Munro, Nobel literature winner revered as short story master, dead at 92
Nobel laureate Alice Munro, the Canadian literary giant who became one of the world’s most esteemed contemporary authors and one of history's most honored short story writers, has died at age 92.
Latest updates on air quality alerts, and when the smoke may reach Ontario and Quebec
Wildfires have led Environment Canada to issue air quality advisories for parts of B.C., Alberta, Manitoba, Saskatchewan and the Northwest Territories, as forecasters warn the smoke could drift farther east.
Are these Canada's best restaurants? Annual top 100 list revealed
The annual list of Canada's top restaurants in the country was just released and here are the places that made the 2024 cut.
Attack on prison van in France kills 2 officers, inmate escapes
Armed assailants killed two French prison officers and seriously wounded three others in an attack on a convoy in Normandy on Tuesday and an inmate escaped, officials said.
Steal a car, lose your driver's licence for 10 years under new Ontario proposal
Repeat car thieves may face lengthy licence bans under proposed changes to Ontario’s Highway Traffic Act.
B.C. brings in law on name changes on day that child killer's new identity revealed
The BC NDP have tabled legislation aimed at stopping people who have committed certain heinous acts from changing their names.
Significant police presence as Israeli flag flies at Ottawa City Hall
The Israeli flag is flying at Ottawa City Hall today to mark the country's national day, with plans to hold a private ceremony to mark Israel's Independence Day. There is a significant police presence at City Hall, including security barriers outside the main doors.
Hot history: Tree rings show that last northern summer was the warmest since year 1
The broiling summer of 2023 was the hottest in the Northern Hemisphere in more than 2,000 years, a new study found.
What to pack during an emergency
Knowing what to have at home, or take with you for an evacuation, can be useful and even life-saving.