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George Sweeney, MHA for the District of Carbonear-Harbour Grace, is asking
Environment Minister Tom Osborne and Municipal Affairs Minister Jack
Byrne to clarify whether government is still committed to establishing a new
waste disposal site to replace several community dumps in the Avalon region.
Recent media reports have indicated that the Avalon Waste Management
Committee, a group that was tasked with developing new waste disposal
initiatives and identifying a new site to replace old existing dumps in the
Avalon region, has been fired by government. This committee was formed after
major concerns were raised that existing dumps, including those in the
Conception Bay North area, were reaching capacity and dangerous pollutants
were being released into the environment.
"The original plan was to close aging and highly pollutant dump sites by
establishing a new site at Dog Hill," said Mr. Sweeney. "After reviewing the
comments of the Minister of Municipal Affairs, I feel this new site may no
longer be on the table and the existing Robin Hood Bay dump in St. John’s
may be expanded to accept more garbage. This might save money for the
provincial government and the City of St. John’s, but it will certainly be
more costly for communities in Conception Bay North.
"Communities in rural Newfoundland and Labrador are struggling to pay
their bills as it currently stands. Costs to operate municipal equipment are
continuing to rise and there is very little assistance being provided by
government. The decision to evaluate Robin Hood Bay as a new regional dump
is indicative of government’s agenda, move everything to the larger service
centres. It now appears that government will even force our communities to
ship their garbage longer distances for disposal.
"I encourage Environment Minister Tom Osborne and Municipal Affairs
Minister Jack Byrne to release their plan immediately. Recent events are
causing concern and these issues must be resolved as soon as possible. The
people of Conception Bay North deserve to be consulted and advised as to
what this new approach will mean for their communities before any decisions
are made."
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