Please circulate this e-mail.
As you are already aware, we here in the Durham/York Region are into the fight of our lives. This is regarding the proposed $237,000,000 incinerator to residual waste. This issue is paramount to Labour, we know that the example of the stabilized landfill in Halifax produced 1200 hundred jobs on the front sorting out recyclable, compo-stable, rebuild-able material from the residual municipal waste and on the back end over 2000 jobs to take the segregated material and make it useful. These are the type of jobs are communities are in dire straits for.
I’m so proud of the CLC passing the say no to incineration resolution last year. We believe we can have a major impact if you where to make a delegation on this issue on June 24th to our Municipality of Durham’s Regional Councillors. Below are all the details regarding sign up instructions. I will gladly explain to personally or by telephone (905) 447-7373 the details of the campaign, its far to complicated to do by e-mail.
Delegations are supposed to speak at the June 16th as a requirement to speak on the 24th, so I’m suggesting that you request to speak at both and send a letter before the 16th stating a basic position and apology due to scheduling restraints and that you wish to speak on the 24th. Please read below the requirements to sign up as a delegation. I’ve also attached CAW Council Resolution and the CLC Resolution.
Tell your Councillors burning garbage is NOT an option! It is not safe and not sensible.
Say NO to incineration! - Send a message to Durham Region leaders all at once
Send a message to Durham Regional Chair Roger Anderson and to all Durham Region Councillors to express your opposition to a plan to build an incinerator in our region. Clicking “Send the Message” will send an email to all Regional Councillors, Ministry Officials and a copy to DEW (see list below).
Please remember that not all Regional Councillors have been voting to approve every step of this incinerator plan. There are a few who have stood up for the residents and listened to what we’ve had to say, and they deserve our gratitude and respect.
Please keep your comments as polite as possible, but feel free to tell all our Councillors your concerns.
Feel free to circulate link to others. One more tool to get more emails out to Councillors. Any questions or suggestions let me know.
Here are some web sites for you to check out on the issue.
www.ZeroWaste4ZeroBurning.
ca • www.PreventCancerNow.ca
www.CAWDREC.com • www.DurhamEnvironmentWatch.org
Please see attachments for reference:
Important Actions and Meetings Concerning the Proposed Durham Incinerator
Attendance Required for both “Committee of the Whole” and “Durham Council”
Incineration will have a strong adverse impact on job creation in the Region; practising the 3R’s and gradually moving towards EPR (Extended Producer Responsibility) is much better in terms of health, economics and job creation.
The situation at Council is now at a critical stage and incineration is likely to be approved if people do nothing. It is important, for your sake and that of your children to take immediate action in order to avoid what will turn out to be a major environmental, health and taxation disaster. The major steps in this action programme are as follows…
1) Write to the Region
It is ABSOLUTELY ESSENTIAL to indicate your opposition to this project. We have to flood the Region with letters or e-mails; keep them short (1 to 3 sentences). This can be done at any time of the day or night. Write to the Clerk’s Office so that your comment is officially entered into the project register and not possibly discarded by a politician. The address is:
For e-Mail CLERKS@Durham.Ca
On the first line, say: “For the Att’n of Council”
For Regular Mail Att’n: Council, c/o Office of the Clerk, Durham Region, 605 Rossland Rd East, Whitby, Ontario, L1N 6A3
2) Attend both “Committee of the Whole” on Tue June 16 (09:30h) and “Durham Council” on Wed June 24 (10:00h)
This could take a good part of the day; if you cannot come in the early part of the day, come in later in the afternoon (and possibly into the evening). Your attendance will help convey the message to Council that the population does not want an expensive Incinerator plus Landfill which only creates a few jobs.
You do not have to attend from the very beginning if your work schedule does not allow. However, do drop by in the afternoon or evening, as this could likely be a very long meeting. Do make the effort to attend as we certainly do not want to have a small audience; this would give the excuse to politicians to argue that “incineration is fine” and ignore the will of the people. We particularly need a large number of “New Faces”.
3) Talk to the “Committee of the Whole” on Tue June 16 and to “Durham Council” on Wed June 24
There must be a VERY LARGE number of people willing to talk on the issue. Although each talk is limited to 10 minutes, it can be extremely short (i.e. just a few seconds long) if people do not want to speak for long. For example, it could even be as short as giving one’s name and address, and saying just one sentence, e.g.
“I am opposed to Incineration with Landfill on the basis of health and cost. Thank you”.
Or “We should adopt a labour intensive approach that creates jobs, not one that burns our health. Thank you”
A VERY LONG line-up of citizens willing to speak is highly desirable; this will send a clear message that politicians cannot ignore. We particularly need mothers with young children (bring them with you at the podium) and peoples in wheelchair; this will help raise the profile of the issue with the media.
Important: In order to address Durham Council, you must have previously addressed the “Committee of the Whole” on June 16th, although there could be isolated exceptions to this. Also, the Clerk’s office must be notified; the sooner, the better, but no later than the preceding Thursday at Noon to be on the Primary Agenda. In unusual circumstances, registration will be accepted up to the preceding Monday morning at 08:00h and these will be on the Supplementary Agenda. If you have a schedule constraint, state clearly in your request to the Clerk the time frame where you will be present.
4) Be Present for the Final Vote
It is absolutely important to have a large crowd when the vote is taken. We do not want to have people leave during the course of the day and not return; this would leave politicians to vote without being subjected to strong public pressure.
People present in the morning who have to leave should come back for the vote in the late part of the day. Similarly, people who cannot attend the early part of the meeting should drop by during the later part of the day. Unfortunately, the time for such a vote by Council cannot be anticipated at this time.
5) Forward this text
Tell all of your contacts residing in Durham Region. Invite them to take action as you do and ask them to forward this action sheet to their own contacts residing in Durham Region. We can achieve a very large coverage in the Region if we follow this “Chain Letter” process.
Important: In order to address this Committee, the Clerk’s office must be notified; the sooner, the better and no later than noon Thursday the 11th of June.
4) Be Present for the Final Vote
Some people will not be able to attend the early part of the meeting. However, it is important that there be a large crowd at the end of the day when the vote is being taken. It would be sending the wrong message if people leave during the course of the day and do not return to the meeting.
Thanking you in Solidarity,
Dave Renaud
CAW Environment Rep.
Oshawa Autoplex
President, CAW Durham Regional Environment Council
W: (905) 644-4930
H: (905) 404-1279
W: Dave.Renaud@gm.com
H: Dave.Renaud@rogers.com
Web: www.cawdrec.com
