w I ßY i'REE PR ESS, WEDNESDAY, MAY 29, 1985, PAGE 3 Fairview needs $2 million in repairs, Edwards says The completion of renovations to Whitby's Fairview Lodge Home for the Aged are depen- dant on Durham Regional Council being able to corne up with $1 million sometime this year. According to Reg. Coun. Tom Edwards, who sits on regional council's health and social services commit- tee, the provincial Town holding public meeting into medical waste station plan Whitby Town Coun- cil's administrative committee will hold a public meeting next Monday night to review an application by Decom Medical Waste Transporation Systems Inc. to construct a tran- sfer station in Whitby. Decom has applied to council for permission to develop a biomedical transfer station on Sunray St. in the in- dustrial park off Con- sumers Dr. east of Hopkins St. The 12,000 square foot facility would contain both administrative of- fices and a transfer station. "The proposed location will be used as Decom's head office and storage facility as well as a transfer terminal where collection vehicles transfer their shipments to transport trailers being com- prised of waste removed from hospitals, medical laboratories, doctor's offices, pharmaceutical companies and other generations of biomedical waste," planning director Bob Short said in a recent report to council. The waste will then be transported from Whit- by to Decom's in- cineration facility in Gatineau, Quebec. "There will be no processing, disposal or stoarge of any waste at the Whitby transfer terminal," Short added. The planning director also noted that the collection vehicles and trailers will have closed and refridgerated cargo areas and will be fitted with full metal linings to make clean-up easier and eliminate the possibility of leaks. "An additional stan- dby trailer will be kept on the site at all times in the event of a refridgeration until failure," Short said. The transfers of waste between vehicles will be done in an enclosed area and will consist of the direct carrying of the containers from the collection vehicle to the transfer vehicle. "No waste will be present at the proposed transfer station outside of the refridgerated vehicles," Short said. "As soon as the trailers are full, they will be sealed and hauled to the incineration site." The collection vehicles will be cleaned in a "dedicated" truck washing room at the site. The containers and trailers will be cleaned in Gatineau. Short also said that no municipal waste removal from the tran- sfer site will be required. At Monday night's meeting of Whitby Town Council, Reg. Coun. Tom Edwards said he wants the committee to give the application "pretty substantial con- sideration. I want them to examine this matter properly." Edwards noted that Decom has already promised to comply with any bylaw regulations the council establishes to govern the transfer station. However, he recently saw two of their trucks and wasn't impressed. "If this is the way they operate, I don't want this kind of business here," Edwar- ds said. The regional coun- cillor also appealed to the press to impress upon local residents to participate in the public meeting. The matter was before council at its meeting two weeks ago, but was withdrawn so that the public meeting could be held. At a recent ad- ministrative committee meeting, a spokesman for Decom assured council that only such medical items as ban- dages, syringers and specimen holders would be disposed of at the sight. The public meeting will begin at8:15 p.m. Group needs help Outreach, a women's action group needs volunteers to assist with their child sexual assault prevention program. Anyone interested in becoming involved with a community organization that helps children either by teaching in their workshops, assisting in the office or co- ordinating volunteers, is invited to attend a Volunteer Tea on Tuesday, June 4 at Sim- coe St. N., Oshawa at 1:30 p.m. or 7 p.m. Anyone requiring fur- ther information should call their office at 728- 3163. government has already committed itself to con- tributing the other half of the project's estimated cost of $2 million. The Dundas . and Cochrane Sts. facilitY has already undergone a $3 million expansion and renovation ta im- prove washroom facilities as well as provide more beds. Edwards notes that "the new wing was provided as a resuit of an outbreak of' salmonella that occured in 1979 that contributed to the deaths of two of the residents." The expansion, he ad- ded, "brought (Fairview) up to stan- dards and provided toilet facilities in each room and allowed the purchase of equipment to aid in the treatment of extended care patien- ts." The two wings to be renovated were built in 1950, when Fairview was first erected, and have "communal or gang" washrooms. Residents of the home have to share washrooms with others and this, Edwards says, increases the risk should another outbreak such as salmonella oc- cur in the future. "The purpose of the proposed renovation is to bring the two old wings up to standards used in the new wing and will provide washrooms in each of the rooms," Edwards says. The renovation will also have benefits other than health ones. "In addition to the health aspect," he says, "It will restore some dignity and privacy to the residents using these rooms, which is definitely lacking at present." The renovations will also allow Fairview to exercise more flexibility in the ad- mission of patients. Edwards points out that the two old wings are segregated. The male wing is currently underutilized but women cannot be place there because of the communal washroom system. "Under the current situation there is a waiting list for female residents and a surplus of male rooms," he said adding that if the renovations are com- pleted, there will be washrooms in each room and, therefore, no beds would be wasted. "The men's wing won't be left un- derutilized." However, Edwards doesn't expect the battle for the $1 million needed from regional council to proceed to be an easy one. "One million dollars is not easily come by and I suspect that there will be some resistance to spending these kinds of funds," he said. The regional coun- cillor noted that when this proposal was first brought forward, the estimated cost was about $300,000. "Five years later we're talking about $2 million," he said ad- ding, "If we don't find the money to do the refurbishing not only will the residents con- tinue to suffer the in- dignities of the present situation and the health hazard but it will also continue to be un- derutilized." The social services committee hopes ta bring the matter before regional council in July but even if approval is given then, Edwards doubts the work will proceed immediately. "I'm hoping that this year we will receive the authorization to proceed and I doubt very much if iL any of the physical work could be done in 1985," he said. "At best, we're talking about a physical start in 1986." p Us Celobrate Our 8TH ANNIVERSARY During the month of May HURRY-LAST WEEK SAVE 7% SALES TAX On orders over '500.0 SAVE UPTO 50% On Oak & Pine accessorles SPECIAL DISCOUNTS ON FLOOR MODELS - , - --- I• CONBUYUONE I IEE STARTING 9 A GET ONE FROM $ DOUBLE FREE! OS H A WA AJAX SCARBORO 140 Simcoe St. S. 1313 Harwood N. 793o il sm ed. (S. of John St.) (N. of Hwy. 40-) Paint Po t Plazm 579-1655 686-0719 431-4458s Plza L.4-1-. Contractor Special Good until May 31st EXTERIOR CAULKING PL 500 reg. 32.99 NOW 2.15 each Cali and build it better at: O AN buiLIING CENTRE 1277 Wilson Rd. N.. Mon.Weam6-e 1- Thur.FI.s8...9p.m. 725-4709 Z Saturday5sa p.m. I ~ i NOTICE OF PUBLIC MEETING TOWN OF WHITBY THE STAFF OF THE TOWN OF WHITBY ASSISTED BY THE FIRM OF TOTTEN, SIMS, HUBICKI ASSOCIATES LTD., WILL BE HOSTING A PUBLIC MEETING ON WEDNESDAY, JUNE 5TH, 1985, AT THE WHITBY MUNICIPAL BUILDING, 575 ROSSLAND ROAD EAST, WHITBY. INDIVIDUALS AND REPRESENTATIVES OF GROUPS AND ORGANIZATIONS IN WHITBY ARE INVITED TO ATTEND THE MEETING TO REVIEW AND PROVIDE INPUT ON THE TENTATIVE CON- CEPTUAL DRAFT PLANS FOR THE EXPANSION OF IROQUOIS PARK COMPLEX IN 1986. THE MEETING WILL BEGIN AT 7:30 P.M. IN THE COUNCIL CHAMBERS. ýýâ