Clarington March 2, 2009 -- Clarington and Durham Region Councils are out of touch with the concerns of participants at a youth focus group on environmental issues, say residents who advocate for Zero Waste. Students from several Clarington high schools named waste management and conservation of resources their top priorities, yet Durham Region councillors have consistently voted to move the EFW incinerator project forward.
In a report Monday evening to Clarington council, Madison Stange, youth representative on Clarington's Living Green advisory committee, said students rated waste reduction, recycling, composting and Zero Waste as some of their most pressing concerns, along with sustainable transportation and energy conservation. Yet, say the residents, Clarington's mayor and regional councillors have not carried that message to regional council.
"Students get it", says Durham resident Louis Bertrand, "Why don't our elected officials?"
Earlier in the council meeting, Regional Chairman Roger Anderson had presented his annual report to Clarington, declaring that Durham's plan is to build "healthy, safe and caring communities". In his report Mr. Anderson touted the positive results of Durham's round table on climate change but barely mentioned the EFW incinerator, and left before he could hear the student focus group outcomes.
"This is a message that the chairman needs to hear, maybe he'll listen to our kids", says Bertrand. "He's ignoring adults who are concerned about the health and financial impacts of the incinerator. He should pay attention to the legacy he and councillors across Durham will leave when they are no longer in office and the students assume the leadership."
Ironically, Clarington's Living Green advisory committee, which advises council on climate change, sustainability, conservation and green energy, under the leadership of its first chair, Mayor Abernethy, chose to consider the EFW incinerator that is slated for Clarington to be outside the committee's their primary focus. Incinerators, by burning materials that could be reused, recycled or composted, destroy resources, create and emit toxic pollutants despite "state of the art" air pollution control equipment and have been shown to be major contributors to climate change. The last public consultation on the incinerator project was held in Fall 2007 and none are scheduled at this time. The region intends to adopt the environmental assessment study at the June 24th regional council meeting before the summer recess.
Media Contacts:
Louis Bertrand, Bowmanville
Linda Gasser, Orono