Ministers refute statements made by Campaign For Progressive Waste Management

Oliver Langdon, Minister of Municipal and Provincial Affairs and Ralph Wiseman, Minister of Environment refute statements made today in a news release issued by the Campaign For Progressive Waste Management.

Ministers Langdon and Wiseman state that no decision has been made with respect to construction of an incinerator on the Avalon Peninsula. It will be the responsibility of the Community Consultative Committee for the Avalon region, which will be appointed early next week, to examine all viable options, including the location and type of a regional waste management facility for the Avalon region.

In refuting a statement from the aforementioned release, Minister Langdon stated, "There will not be any direction as to the preferred findings of this committee. The competent individuals that will sit on this committee were chosen because of their interest in this issue and their ability to represent the stakeholders of the region."

In a telephone conversation this morning with Eugene Conway of the Campaign For Progressive Waste Management, Minister Langdon assured Mr. Conway that the appointed individuals will represent major stakeholders.

Minister Wiseman stated that a provincial waste management strategy will be developed by the end of the year and the recommendations and regional approach developed by the Community Consultative Committee must conform to that strategy.

"According to A Call to Action on Environmental Protection, the report on the waste management public consultations, presented to Government on October 31, 2001, communities recognize that a regional approach to waste management is necessary. The Avalon Waste Management Committee will be one of several regional committees throughout Newfoundland and Labrador developing regional waste management approaches," said Minister Wiseman. 

To assist the work of the Community Consultative Committee, a synopsis of previous reports was prepared regarding different aspects of waste management in Conception Bay North and on the Avalon. This report was released to the public on July 24, 2001 and is intended for information and discussion purposes only. The report provides data on population projections, waste generation, waste characteristics, and these previous studies had identified four potential sites for a regional waste management facility. The ministers stressed that these are only potential sites and it will be up to the committee to identify all viable options.

Ministers Langdon and Wiseman assure stakeholders that they are indeed working together to address waste management issues throughout the province and will continue to do so.

Media contact: Lynn Hammond, Municipal and Provincial Affairs, (709) 729-1983.
                      Diane Keough, Environment, (709) 729-2575.

2001 11 08                          4:35 p.m.