The following is being distributed at the request of Multi-Materials Stewardship Board.

Joint Councils Waste Management Committee receives Waste Management Trust Fund grant

Environment Minister Bob Mercer and Gordon Seabright, chair of the Multi-Materials Stewardship Board (MMSB), are pleased to announce the Joint Councils Waste Management Committee in Labrador will receive funding from the Newfoundland and Labrador Waste Management Trust Fund.

The Waste Management Committee will use funds from the Trust Fund to conduct a regional waste management study to identify one regional waste disposal site for the southeast coast of Labrador. The amount of funding will be confirmed once the tender has been awarded for the study. The communities involved in the study area are Port Hope Simpson, Mary�s Harbour, St. Lewis, Charlottetown, and the local service districts of Pinsent�s Arm Lodge Bay. All present sites will be closed down with the implementation of one regional waste disposal site to service the entire area. The study will examine and propose modern waste management as set out by the Newfoundland and Labrador Waste Management Strategy.

"I commend these communities for taking this co-operative approach to address waste management issues in this region of Labrador. We all need to work together to ensure we do have an effective and successful implementation of our waste management strategy," said Minister Mercer. "I look forward to seeing this study completed and the subsequent close-out of more landfill sites in this province."

Since the Newfoundland and Labrador Waste Management Trust Fund was established in 1999, government has approved 284 applications and approximately $8 million in contributions. This funding has been disbursed to 300 schools, more than 160 municipalities, 45 environmental and community groups, and several businesses, school districts, and waste management authorities.

"This study will help the southeast coast of Labrador move forward with implementing the Provincial Waste Management Strategy in this region," said Mr. Seabright. "Through this project many communities will benefit when the landfill sites are closed in this area of the province."

Yvonne Jones, MHA for Cartwright-L'Anse Au Clair, said, "With the opening of the highway between communities, there is an opportunity to look at reducing the number of landfill sites. This is a region of tremendous tourism potential and it is important to have good environmental and structured landfill sites. I am encouraged by the cooperation between communities and I will work with them to support this project."

MMSB is a Crown agency established by the Department of Environment to develop, implement, and manage a variety of waste diversion programs in Newfoundland and Labrador. MMSB is responsible for the Beverage Container and Used Tire Recycling Programs, Household Hazardous Waste Collection Program, the administration of the Newfoundland and Labrador Waste Management Trust Fund, and the public education and awareness of the Used Oil Recycling Program and the Provincial Waste Management Strategy.

Media contact:
          Karen O�Neill, MMSB, Communications, (709) 753-0949
          Carmel Turpin, Department of Environment, (709) 729-2575

2003 05 15                                       4:00 p.m.