The Honourable Dave Denine, Minister of Municipal
Affairs, is pleased to announce the appointment of Gilbert Smart to
chair of the Western Regional Waste Management Committee. Mr. Smart will
assume this position immediately and work with the existing committee to
advance a waste management plan for the western region.
"I am confident that Mr. Smart will provide solid
leadership, and work well with committee members to support an
implementation plan for waste management for the western region. It is
important to introduce an independent chair to help lead the waste
management strategy and provide guidance to move the western plan
forward," said Minister Denine. "There is a tremendous amount of work to
be done to advance the strategy, and I am confident that this committee
will make strategic decisions to modernize solid waste management on the
west coast of our province."
Mr. Smart, a graduate of Saint Mary�s University with
a Bachelor of Commerce in Accounting, will lead the mandate that will
ultimately result in a single waste management facility to service the
western region of the province at a reasonable cost to consumers, and
which will incorporate programs of household hazardous waste, waste
reduction and diversion, composting and recycling. Mr. Smart�s work
experience includes leadership roles with the Canada Customs and Revenue
Agency and with the Department of Finance, Government of Newfoundland
and Labrador. Mr. Smart has been retired since 2004, and is a resident
of Steady Brook.
"I look forward to working with the committee to move
this important initiative forward, and welcome the opportunity to work
with community leaders to advance the waste management strategy for the
western region," said Mr. Smart. "The committee has an important
mandate, and I am pleased to be part of the modernization of waste
management for the west coast of the province. There are many positive
environmental, and tourism benefits, and much work that needs to be done
to move this initiative forward in a responsible, coordinated manner."
In May 2007, the Provincial Government announced
implementation of the $200 million Provincial Waste Management Strategy,
with a goal for full implementation by 2020. The strategy calls for
three full-service regional waste management facilities on the Avalon,
Central and Western areas of the island portion of the province, and
programs which will be developed for the zones in Labrador to meet the
provincial waste management goals. The western regional site is expected
to be operational no later than 2016. The geographic area to be
considered includes the western region of the province from Harbour Le
Cou on the southwest coast to Bellburns on the Northern Peninsula and
east past Highway 420, which would include Hampden and Jackson�s Arm and
area. The provincial strategy will aim to reduce the amount of waste
going into landfills in the province by 50 per cent supported by the use
of disposal bans and development of new waste diversion programs.
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Media contact:
Heather MacLean
Director of Communications
Department of Municipal Affairs
709-729-1983, 690-2498