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Council (again) urges province to find solution to Toronto trash She also noted the Association of nce again Wards 3 and 4 Municipalities of Ontario has offered Regional Councillor Jane solutions including a deposit-return Fogal called on the provinsystem-- a suggestion which the cial government to come up with a Town of Halton Hills circulated waste management strategy for among municipalities last year. Toronto-area garbage. "I hope with this amount of pres"It's a provincial concern and sure the Province will take note and we're not seeing anything yet," she come up with a strategy because we said at a recent council meeting. "As need one in a desperate sort of way," time goes on here, well, they say Fogal. they have emergency capacity. Mayor Rick Bonnette said that the Guess where it is? It's got to be in an existing landfill. Where else could be it? It's Province is not shy about becoming a "new planner at the table" with its Places to definitely a threat." In the fall, Halton Hills and Halton Region Growth document projecting 780,000 people became alarmed when Toronto, Peel, York in the Halton Region. "They're talking about roads, they're talkand Durham regions asked the Province to locate Ontario landfills to dump their ing about transit systems, they're talking garbage-- with or without the permission of about everything but there is not one compothe current landfill owners. The crisis is nent about waste management," said looming because Michigan has passed legis- Bonnette, "and that is a cost of growth. It's lation preventing foreign trash from being been totally ignored." --By Cynthia Gamble, staff writer shipped to locations within its borders-- the GTA garbage is currently trucked to that state. The state is now awaiting the U.S. Congress to pass legislation allowing the international ban. The Halton Waste Management Site (HWMS), the closest site with capacity to the ublic feedback is wanted on Toronto area, is viewed as a potential dumpHalton's Solid Waste Management ing ground. Strategy and a public meeting has The development of the HWMS began 20 years ago and currently has 17 years of its 30- been scheduled for Thursday, February 23 at year life span remaining, at a total cost to the Halton Hills Civic Centre. At the public meeting, residents will learn Halton taxpayers of $120 million. If the region's industrial/commerical waste was about Halton's strategy, 2006-2010, and will taken to the HWMS, instead of being cur- be asked to fill out a survey. The drop-in open house meeting will be rently shipped to the U.S., that lifespan shortens to seven years. If HWMS is forced held between 5 p.m. and 8 p.m. The strategy to take the GTA residential garbage that identifies the proposed waste diversion inilifespan shortens to three years and to only tiatives for the next five years, as well as one year if GTA industrial/commercial trash choices for managing Halton waste beyond 2010. is added. For more information on the draft Solid Fogal praised a letter of support written by Wellington MPP Ted Arnott to Premier Waste Management Survey, residents can Dalton McGuinty asking for his guarantee look at Halton's website at www.halton.ca that Toronto waste will not be sent to Halton. or call 1-866-4HALTON.