Just say no to burning sludge at Point Aconi
Letter to editor from Elaine Fraser
Cape Breton Post
Thursday, July 8, 2003
I am very, very concerned about
the recommendations to co-burn the
toxic sludge from the Sydney tar
ponds in Point Aconi generating
station. A recent article in the Cape
Breton Post stated that the governments
are seeking input from residents
living near the Point Aconi plant.
I have attended several meetings
in the area. Engineer Walter Van
Veen tells us the material is basically
burnable fuel, no worse than
what you burn in your home or car.
What turnip truck does he think we
fell off?
We don't have fancy degrees, nor
are we engineers, but we do know
that we are dealing with Canada's
worst toxic sludge.
Pesticide spray from farming
practices has been detected in the
far north. Toxins from the sludge
that don't burn will become air
borne and certainly drift all over
Cape Breton, and who knows how
far.
I am appealing to all Cape Bretoners
from Glace Bay to the North
Shore and beyond to get involved,
ask questions, and let the politicians,
the Joint Action Group, Nova
Scotia Power, anyone who will listen
and those who won't, that our
answer is no way - no burning.
The Point Aconi plant can't burn
that sludge safely, and we know the
site incinerator couldn't. What will
happen when work starts to disturb
the sludge and transport it? Instead
of one toxic site to deal with, we
may end up with a number of them.
I for one am not going to sit still
and let them spew toxic emissions
from the stacks at Point Aconi. My
health and the health of my familly
are more important than getting rid
of the Sydney tar ponds at any
expense.
I am not impressed with Parker
Donham telling us how to act at a
meeting. If he has met with hostility
in the past, it was probably something
he said or did that provoked it.
So don't provoke us by trying to
burn that sludge in Point Aconi.
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