10 signatures reached
To: Andrea Khanjin, Minister of the Environment, Conservation & Parks, Ontario
Say No to Creating Largest Garbage Incinerator in Canada in the GTA
We urge you to allow time for an environmental assessment and community consultation on the quadrupling of the existing waste incineration plant in Peel Region (Brampton). Waste incinerators are outdated, toxic and an expensive means of dealing with Ontario waste and should not be expanded and most definitely not expanded in the densely populated GTA.
Why is this important?
Burning garbage while we are in the middle of a climate crisis doesn't seem like a good idea generally. Additionally:
1) Burning garbage produces more greenhouse emissions than burning coal or gas; this means any energy from this plant is not green. We can make actual green energy sources much more cheaply than giving this private company $3million of provincial money.
2) The toxic gas that Emerald acknowledges leaves its plant, makes people nearby more likely to have chronic lung disease. This plant is located in a major city in Ontario.
3) Allowing a private company to burn waste means that even if Ontario communities reduce our waste to nothing, this company will still be polluting our province with toxic air pollutants from other communities' waste.
We do have to figure out how to manage our waste. Studies done on incinerators, demonstrate that over half of what is burned could be recycled or composted. It takes a lot of energy to burn wet compostable material and generally that means they are required to burn highly polluting plastics or other fuels, like gas, to get to high enough temperatures. There is lots of room for efficiency and to be a leading innovator in waste management and reduction here.
I and other concerned Ontario residents urge you to NOT approve this expansion and allow for an environmental assessment and community consultation.