Wednesday, March 18, 2015

SUSPECTED ASH SPILL HAS RESIDENTS WORRIED IN FOURNIER, ONTARIO, CANADA




MARCH 17, 2015

FOURNIER, ONTARIO

Local residents say they are fed up with the trucks hauling ash to the waste disposal site and worried the debris is harmful.

The ash seeps through and leaks off of trucks hauling the ash to the waste disposal site from the beginning of Bradette Road then onto Fournier concession 5 road and then continue onto the Dunn's Lake road for approximately five miles, argue residents Shirley Bégin, Ann Prévost and Janet Prévost.

The Ministry of the Environment was called, according to complainants, in and a partial clean-up carried out. However, they say the rest of the ash was pushed aside to melt.

Residents are concerned the seepage could impact groundwater and Crickard Lake, which is only 150 meters from the roadway.

“We were told by the town that the ash is non-toxic, but what happens when it comes in to contact with water,” argue residents? “Contact with former workers of the ash company tell us that the ash on their boots would eat through the soles, also where the boots were kept in their homes, it ate the flooring off.

“Non-toxic, huh!”

Residents say they are up in arms to not have the waste disposal site for another 30 years. with environmental concerns for the future generations including the potential harm relating to:

- Water contamination of lakes, streams and local wells
- animal life, increase in bears within the immediate surroundings\
-plant life: berry plants, medicinal plants and other plants
-Chemical waste (with no monitoring control for residential waste. ei fluorescents lights, batteries, ect)
- Health concerns: air pollution, dust from ash, dust from traffic
- Culture impact in particular for the local First Nations and Metis residents
-Decreases in property values
-The increase in traffic and noise and garage along the side roads
-Damages to the local roads
-Unpleasant odours
-Visual impact
-Reasonable alternatives have not been meaningfully considered.

Source: http://www.cochranetimespost.ca