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Eddie Joyce, MHA for the District of Bay of Islands, is calling on Municipal
Affairs Minister Jack Byrne and Environment Minister Clyde Jackman to meet
with communities on the North and South shores of the Bay of Islands to
discuss an action plan to replace the aging Wild Cove dump site. "The
communities in the Bay of Islands are very concerned with the current
situation at the Wild Cove dump on the North Shore of the Bay of Islands,"
said Mr. Joyce. "While these communities have been waiting for a meeting
with the ministers to discuss replacing the current dump site with a new
regional disposal site, it appears that Mayor Pender and the City of Corner
Brook are holding separate meetings with government. Other communities in
the area are not part of these discussions and they fear that a new proposal
will be put forward to extend the life of the Wild Cove dump against the
wishes of the surrounding communities."
In a recent edition of the Western Star, Mayor Pender stated that he was
in constant contact with Minister Byrne on this issue, while other affected
communities feel they are being left out of the process. The City of Corner
Brook appears to want the Wild Cove site expanded as it acts as a revenue
generator for the city.
"I have heard the concerns of the communities in the Bay of Islands. Not
only are people experiencing the problems related to the heavy traffic and
large vehicles that travel the North Shore Highway to the dump site, but
more debris is showing up along the highway, dead gulls are becoming more
prevalent, garbage is increasing alongside the highway near the site, and
there are fears that toxins from the dump may be seeping into Humber Arm.
The city is not taking a significant responsibility in this matter and it
appears they are trying to bully the smaller surrounding communities.
"On behalf of the residents and councils in the communities of the Bay of
Islands, Massey Drive and other concerned towns, I am calling upon Minister
Byrne and Minster Jackman to call a meeting that includes all affected
communities. With the House of Assembly opening again on Monday, I will be
raising this issue and presenting petitions to have the Wild Cove dump site
closed and a new site chosen for a regional waste disposal site. It is
important for government to receive input from all communities, not just the
City of Corner Brook."
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