| MPP, MP launch verbal battle over dump |
| By Morgan Ian Adams |
| Enterprise-Bulletin (Fri, February 2, 2000) |
| COLLINGWOOD - The decision to approve the environmental
assessment for Site 1-1 has sparked a war of words between the local
provincial and federal government representatives. |
| The day after Environment Minister Dan Newman announced the
site in Clearview Township, within three kilometres of the municipal airport's
runway, and within site of the new route for Hwy. 26, Simcoe-Grey MPP Jim
Wilson put the blame for the approval at the feet of his federal
counterpart. |
| On Tuesday, Wilson said Paul Bonwick could have done more
to put a stop to Site 1-1 by getting the federal transportation ministry
to file and objection. |
| The site is within three kilometres of he Collingwood
municipal airport's runway; Transport Canada guidelines recommend an eight
kilometre buffer between a landfill and a runway because of the concern of
mid-air collisions between planes and any birds feeding at the landfill. |
| However, this minimum distance is a guideline only and
compliance is not enforced by current Transport Canada regulations. |
| "He has done nothing," Wilson told the
Enterprise-Bulletin. "It wouldn't have taken much effort on
behalf of the federal member (to have the bureaucrats file an
objection)." |
| Wilson said had Transport Canada filed an objection, the
provincial environment ministry would not have given the thumbs up to the
site under the Environmental Assessment Act. |
| However, not only is Bonwick disappointed with the
'partisan' rhetoric of his provincial counterpart, the federal
representative for Simcoe-Grey says he has been part of the process and
has met several times with county representatives as well as the local
committee fighting the preferred location of the dumpsite. |
| "That is a total fabrication of the truth,"
Bonwick said of Wilson's comments. |
| Speaking from his Ottawa office, Bonwick said Transport
Canada had, in fact, advised it had concern for the safety of airplanes
taking off and landing at the Collingwood Airport if the dump was locate
nearby. |
| "Wilson is simply deflecting the issue on to another
level of government, which is shameful and disgraceful,"
Bonwick said, "and I would encourage him to work closely with the
federal and country governments on this." |
| Bonwick said he will be advising Collingwood to send a
letter to Transport Canada to encourage their involvement in the planning
process when the land comes up for rezoning. |
| "But there is not need for this type of partisan approach,"
Bonwick said. "We should resolve the issue, together, so we
don't have to have new landfills. |
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