Press Release
Incineration: A Wise Choice?
Brant County is considering incineration as a way to deal with waste. Would it be a wise choice? Laurier Brantford’s Sustainability Centre and Sustainable Brant are hosting a public forum on incineration/gasification of municipal waste. We’re learning from other communities that successfully defeated incineration or gasification proposals and won awards for reducing, recyling and composting their waste.
Liz Benneian, founder of the Ontario Zero Waste Coalition and president of Oakvillegreen Conservation Association will discuss incineration on April 8 at 7 p.m. in the Carnegie Building, 73 George Street in room 206.
Benneian notes that Halton Region had proposed to spend $800 million to build an incinerator in that Region but changed direction after significant public resistance over the cost, human health and environmental concerns. “Oakvillegreen was pleased to take the lead on convincing Halton Region that burning garbage was not the best way to deal with waste,” says Benneian. She notes the Province of Ontario has committed itself to Zero Waste through the recent Waste Diversion Act review. Zero Waste is a philosophy for dealing with waste that relies on waste reduction, reuse and recycling.
Currently the County of Brant is considering building an incinerator/gasification facility near Powerline Road and Oak Park Road.
For more information call Ella Haley at 519-647-0040.
Liz Benneian, president of Oakvillegreen Conservation Association, is a former journalist and newspaper editor who has worked in Europe and Canada. Since 2004, she has been a full-time, volunteer environmental advocate. Under her leadership Oakvillegreen, successfully fought plans to build an incinerator in Halton, convinced the Province to turn 675 acres slated for development into two new conservation areas, stopped plans to put a paved pathway through a critical migratory bird stopover area, got a Town ban on pesticides and secured a bylaw to stop developers from clear cutting trees. During the past two years, Liz has been travelling around the province teaching grassroots groups how to become more effective advocates through Organize To Win seminars. In 2007, Liz was awarded both Oakville's Individual Community Spirit Award and the Rotary’s Paul Harris Fellowship Award for outstanding contributions to her community. Last June, she was chosen as Earth Day Canada's National Hometown Hero for 2009 and in February of 2010 she received an award from the Ontario Heritage Trust in recognition for her success in conserving the Province’s natural heritage.
