"Kearns invites disintegrator question to Laurier"

BRANTFORD - John Kearns believes he can answer any and all questions people may have regarding his invention, the Kearns Disintegrator, which the Six Nations Elected Band Council recently rejected.

Just days after officially cancelling the $4.6 million order, Six Nations was put on an emergency alert when a chemical fire broke out at the landfill in a compound created for hazardous and flammable waste.

"My machine has proven its ability to dispose of this kind of waste materials cleanly and safely," insists Kearns. "This explosion and chemical fire could have and should have been avoided."

Last fall, RWDI Engineering - an independent third party air quality testing firm, was called in to evaluate the air quality in the smoke coming from Kearns disintegration unit. When those results did not match Kearns promise of cleanly incinerating household waste, but instead indicated dioxin levels nearly 200 times the provincial limit, frustrations about the disintegrator spread and Six Nations Elected Council eventually walked away from the deal.

A community meeting was held on Six Nations where representatives from RWDI explained data in the report and made recommendations for the future and how to improve of the results of the RWDI results.

Kearns said he has a number of problems with how the tests were conducted. He explained the unit was brought from Nova Scotia and erected at the Six Nations Landfill Site only to prove the mechanical capabilities of the technology.

Kearns insists that under the terms of his agreement with SNEC that the demonstration unit was not to be tested because filtration systems were not included.

Kearns also said the agreement stated his machine would meet or be well under federal pollution standards, and if it was not, the agreement included a money-back guarantee and the fixed unit would be shipped back to Nova Scotia at Kearns' own expense.

That, among other issues, Kearns said he hopes to answer with documentary evidence and full disclosure of the deal agreed to by the council.

Kearns said he was advised to not attend the meeting with RWDI held earlier this year. "I was asked by the Band Council not to attend that meeting since they could not guarantee my personal safety," said Kearns.

Kearns claimed his life was threatened during a protest before the Elected Council asked him to leave the community for his own safety.

Still, Kearns insists he can explain the reasons for the high levels of dioxins during the testing phase and has scheduled a public meeting in order to do so. "This was a missed opportunity for the people of Six Nations to get answers to their concerns and to find a solution for their landfill problem, and that is too bad," Kearns said. "By not being there to answer the questions and explain the reason for reports of smoke from the machine, it gave the appearance that I was staying away because I couldn't defend my machine or the results of the test, and neither are true."

That is why, he says, he is conducting a no­-holds-barred explanation and Q&A session for anyone with concerns or questions.

"Under the circumstances, I felt it would be best to conduct this meeting off reserve and at Laurier University Theatre instead," said Kearns who will be flying in from Nova Scotia for the meeting. "I want to hear from everybody, friend and foe, and be given a chance to answer every question they might have."

He also wants an opportunity to explain his side of the story.

The meeting is set for Thursday, May 28th at 7 p.m., at the Wilfred Laurier University Odeon Theatre lecture hall and will run until 9 p.m.