Ontario it' you stay away from the hotspots mound the shore. "Most restrictions are extremely localized ___ like near treatment plants and urban rivers where there is bacteria," noted Stephen Boyd of the Ministry of the Environment at Queen's Park, And that goes for fishing, too, but drinking the stuff is another matter, even though indus- trial discharges into the lake have been "radically reduced" over the years and the quality of Lake Ontario's water has improved, noted Boyd. By BARB my Oakville Beaver Staff Cleaning up Lake Ontario major challenge Apr 35 Fourth ine,Oakville $lllllli4illllllll, 'r, Ib", LINCOLN MERCURY I ' SALES . SERVICE . LEASING I f . 570 Trafalgar Road H El f , I Atthe .E.W. , t .‘ M. 844-3273 rdr,q, a Over 30 Creat Stores & $en'ices chhs A tIli-ll-li-Ill-ir-ii-lik 2441 LAKESHORE RD. W "The Earth's surface is, 70% water while 90% of the human body is water," states the Wafer for Life conference poster. "Oakville derives. all of its drinking water from Lake Ontario." Registration fees of tus, $10 for students and low-income people and $8 for members of the Centre include lunch. Call the Centre at 849-5501. Space is limited to 100 people. To Stephen Dankowich, the Centre's director, the topic is an important one. "We drink water from Lake Ontario and, when we pollute our water, we pollute our bodies," he said, "The conference will teach us ways to conserve and preserve water, one of our most precious and valuable resources." Jay Palter, co-ordinator of the Chlorine Issues Campaign for Greenpeace, speaks from 2:15 to 3:15 pm. The Conference concludes with a panel composed of people from municipal agencies to address the issue of water. They include Tom Muir from the Canada Centre for Inland Waters; David Gale, co- ordinator of CURB - Clean Up Rural Beaches for the Halton Regional Conservation Authority; plus a local councillor. To Stephen Dankowich, the Centre's director, the topic is an The Oakville Community Centre for Peace, Ecology and Human Rights will hold a Water for Life Conference at the Oakville Central Library on April 24th from 9 am. to 5 pm. Speakers include Dr. John Bacher of the Coalition of Green Recovery and president of the Preservation of Agricultural Land Society whose discussion will centre on ground water from 10 to ll a.m.. Norm Jacobs, member of the Haudenosaunee Environment Delegation and a member of the Six Nations Iroquois Confederacy will also give an address, ll a.m. to 12 noon, as well as Michelle Swenarchuk, a lawyer with the Canadian Environmental Law Association, who will discuss the impact of free trade on water sup- plies from 1 to 2 p.m. This is partly due to the concert Water for Life Conference an br the best selection or cruises call 226 Lakeshore Rd. E _ijii,'stfj1lll1j, i'Ji'iiiiit,sc", Downtown Oakville Tel: 844-6991 ve"'"; - Ciororree,ertej, @Bosk Rall/l/uit I McCutcheon 's Camera and Video HELP TO CLEAN UP OUR CORNER OF THE EARTH 338-2077 Itll In j,:ilu1l.jli,dr,ii,,'a' u 825-0719 "WC can now measure concen- trations of compounds in the water which were too low to measure before - like PCBs and dioxins," said Boyd, noting that, although the production and use of PCBs has vir- tually been eliminated in industrial manufacturing, there is still a residue left that is now being detect- ed and treated. However, the quality of the water is a long way from perfect. The National Water Research Institute (NWRI) points out that the ll nent ‘OUIM h EXACT MEASUREMENTS "We can now measure conce tTo rt itit ho have be, by concern: t to better tit in the water. .1“ [(:?2lliRll,JNart))N C())Fhf' GLEANERS Please return all Plastic Garment Bags JI Hangers to any of our locations for recycling. lv, / (QM? WEMI&CULLEN tion (I h Oakville Town Centre 11 2E.w. at Dorval fron ll m 338-0338 "Over the next two years, they will identify 65 compounds for reduction and each plant will devel.. A J . "* u g:'t.vs; ti/r!), ',,'tSiir,'---Csis(.i,, . Manufacturers, too, are helping to clean up the lake and prevent fur- ther pollution. For instance, last year Ford Motor Company of Canada joined with the Big Three auto manufacturers, all members of the Motor Vehicle Manufacturers Association, in an agreement with Environment Canada and the provincial MOE to institute a pro- gram aimed at reducing the level of persistent toxins they used to dump into the lakes. As a result, CClW has become the coordinating body to bring together studies and programs from such agencies as the Ministry of Natural Resources, federal and provincial ministries of the environ- ment and regional and municipal groups. The Remedial Action Plan (RAP) for Hamilton Harbour, for instance, is only one of 17 RAPs that are being developed around the Great Lakes, said Boyd. m they come from, the routes they for. low, where they go and their effects on urban, agricultural and industrial development. The information derived from these studies is used by remedial action and management plans aimed at further cleansing of the lakes. DDT, NWRI ',1JfTg'1t3, rER 'cis-i-ut-rt,?,"?? Inga“: ll REDUCE TOXINS ut l n u 0 discover where the routes they fol- Jo and their effects tural and industrial The information Ill .lll~ 'i-_"""""'"]': V ATE “g of ','ijrtii'?i'i.".:i? oyutt."it, LAG; ll Look for different uses for items you already have and usually throw away. Lots of things, can serve several functions be ond what they are intended for. All you need is a little imagination. Remember, a jar is a jar is a jar! {Nhether your canister set is imported ceramic or made from used jars it is still a canister set. The only difference is perception. Beyond finding new uses for products around the home, you can also give items away to friends or community organizations. Holding a garage sale is a terrific way to have fun, remember one persons garbage IS someone else's gold. Pat McEwen McEwen Waste Management fitalre, 'tti? " KVlLLF, BRAVE! "The plant exceeds current (governmental) standards for discharge," he said. As well, solvents used in industrial paint are burned off in special thermal units designed to reduce damage to the ozone level, said Smith. Ford combats pollution Although manufacturers have to pay out initially for pollution control devices, they will get it back in waste management savings over the years, according to one environmental official. "Pollution prevention definitely pays off in the long run by reducing waste disposal costs," said Blake Smith, manager of Ford of Canada's Environment Quality department. Because pollution controls are built into every pro- ject the automobile manufacturer embarks on, Smith couldn't say exactly how much Ford has expended on pollution controls over the years, except that it was puuuuun controls over me years, except that It was "millions." But he noted that the water treatment plant at its new $430 million paint facility in Oakville cost the company $5 million. The system takes the sludge left from water-spraying solid paint residue and treats it before it is released to municipal treatment plants instead of Lake Ontario. "The plant exceeds current (governmental) standards Should such a concept be suc- cessfully enacted, Lake Ontario might once again become drinkable. For the time being, however, drink- ing water is best taken from the tap after the Region of Halton has fin- ished treating it. In 1988, the region began using chloramines (chlorine and ammonia) instead of chlorine as Quality department. Despite the strides made, howev- er, there are organizations that maintain eliminating chemicals is not good enough. Pollution Probe, for example, says the emphasis must shift to pollution prevention, to phase out the use of the worst toxic chemicals and ban their use and release. This is called a"sunset- ting," a concept the organization claims some governments are ahead): accepting. (7 ._V (“,4 (, / V ' , I / New West Gypsum Ontario Inc Gypsum Wa/lboard Recycling 2182 WYECROFT ROAD OAKVILLE, ONTARIO L6L svs me them BETTER TREATMENT NR' ific plan Blah V23 {v."V l" a K.» , finally elimi- ke Smith, man- nvironmental NEW WEST GYPSUM 847-0520 Oakville (3rd Line and Upper Middle Rd.) Abbey Plaza 825-8025 Celebrate Earth Day and turn your child's bedroom into a fun-filled jungle!! Huge selection of borders and wallpaper from $3.98- $11.99 single roll 1500 Upper Middle Rd. Treatment does not eradicate all trihalomethanes (THMs - organ- isms causing diseases such as typhoid and cholera) but Oakville's water has tested 20 parts per billion since 1990, much lower than the allowable standard of 350 and less than the 35 to 50 ppb. prior to 1990 when chlorine alone was used. Western did not deny that there "(When chloramine-treated), there's still chlorine in the water when it comes out of the tap," noted Bob Western, sub-foreman with the Oakville Purification Plant. chlorine. It is also cheaper because it remains in the system longer, thus eradicating the need for added facil- ities to pump more chlorine into the water. 1kville inf and ho not REDUCED RISK Iron mam tlu Int mainl " mainly to Impr( we odour problems hloramine becausu :act to the iron TENDER TOUCH 1091 SPEERS ROAD - Reduce, Reuse and Recycle. It mentions that only 10% of recycled newspapers become new newsprint. The rest is made into grey cardboard, insulation, egg cartons and the insides of automobiles. "The average car contains about 60 pounds, of old newspapers," it said. , ' F21ttt'ao _ . DIM 3m -' \ " . _ Br _, Ford is also fazing out the use of chloroflurocarbons (CFCs) used in plant and vehicle operations, substitut, ing hydrogen chloroflurocarbons which reduce damage to the ozone layer, he added. Besides this, it has installed a solar panel to heat the water in a large fire tank at its Oakville plant and pioneered the use of a solar wall to heat fresh air, thus saving energy and reducing air emissions and carbon dioxide. The technol- ogy has since expanded to other Ford plants. Aside from regular recycling of paper, aluminum cans, glass, wood and cardboard, Ford is also switching gradually to returnable containers from suppliers as part of its purchasing policy. All Ford plants have switched from coal and oil to natural gas, eliminating sulfur diox- ide (acid rain) and reducing carbon dioxide emissions. An example of reusable material is contained in a Ford newsletter outlining the importance of the three Rs Save The Ecology ... I993 CAMKY 'DOOR SEDAN LE 'Together we can make a diluent†Diaper Service 4104 Fairview St., Burlington "Making The Earth Our business " 2904 South Sheridan Way STINNES ENERCO INC. O. llbl Mt-tol? NM“ iiir1 It,. OAKVILLE TOYOTA T13": ulil HI In was ant / Dtgign 829-4450 Imam/“i "Serving Oakville for over 18 fears" It it It should be noted, however, that fish owners and kidney dialysis patients must ensure chloramines are removed from the water. Information about this is available by calling the region's health department or its public works department at, Ext. 281 or 262 respectively. ed that m occur am drinking tn "If von before chlorine (which we know more about than any other disinfec- tant) was added to the water to the deaths occurring afterwards, you can't argue about it," he said. "Don't forget, Oakville has had its share of cholera and typhoid epr, demics." maint take. omeon XI MK 639-0500 11m ===z====1 JOINING GREENIN G OF ONTARIO maybe one death would mong a million people treated water for 70 years. ou compare the deaths hlorine (which we know nillion ENVIRONMENTAL†FRIENDLY DIAPER & BABY PRODUCT DELIVERY SERVICE 10an COTTON owns ECONOMICAL & CONVENIENT WASHED ON nEMISEs IAIY GIFT “suns (MIMI. OI HOME DElIVEI'Y) cm cannons WASHING SERVICE Oakville Toyota is an environmental friendly dealership recycling Anti- Freeze, Waste Oil and Filter. s" CALL TODAY . 847-7017 m drink ts a rez authoritie 'rm 849-8400 In; h able hance might Mt I'l llmal that but 21 to