Decom hearing... Decom unwanted in Ajax By MIKE JOHNSTON Free Press Staff Under cross- examination by Whitby lawyer David Sims, a Ministry of Environ- ment official told mem- bers of the environmen- tal- assessment board last week that Decom is requesting a site in Whitby because the town of Ajax is not hap- py with the way the company has conducted its business. "The town does not want the operation to continue in its present building," Ken Hogg, a district officer for York and Durham told board members Mary Munroe and Michael Jeffery. That was just one of the startling facts revealed by Ministry of Environment officials during cross- examination. Mr. Hogg informed the , board's represen- tatives that the Ontario Removal Service - later bought out by Decom - ran a small medical waste transfer station in Ajax illegaly. He said the company had a waste management systems certificate, which only allows a company to haul waste from its source to the in- cinerator. A waste management transfer certificate is required for a company to tran- sfer waste from collec- tion vehicles for ship- ment to the incinerator. He told the board that ORS was transferring waste without a cer- tificate since Feb. of 1985. He said Decom took over the operation in July of 1985 and con- tinued to transfer waste illegaly, adding that the Ministry of Environ- ment have pictures of Decom marked vehicles transferring waste illegaly. When asked by Mr. Sims if the Ministry had attempted to prosecute Decom, Mr. Hogg told the board no. He also informed the board that an injunction was not sought against the company. When asked what the ministry attempted to do to stop the illegal transferring, Mr. Hogg replied, the ministry at- tempted to evict the company through the Town of Ajax. Decom was later granted a provisional waste management transfer certificate in March of 1986 which ex- pires in September of 1986. However, Mr. Hogg informed the board if there is a possibility the site for Whitby will be ap- proved, an extension will be given to Decom. Mrs. Munroe followed up on Mr. Sims questions and asked Mr. Hogg how the people of 'y Whitby could be assured that Decom will not per- form any illegal activity in its station on Sunray St. if it is approved. "The certificate makes it easy to apply the rule of the law," an- swered Mr. Hogg. He said the certificate also assists the Ministry of Environment to en- forcing regulations against storing waste overnight, a problem which had previously occured at the Ajax site. He informed the board that the ORS facility and later Decom were storing waste overnight. He said this came as a complete SEE PG. 3 Spring The Whitby Jaycee's Annual Spring Carnival was a tremendous success for-the organization this year. The carnival was held on Thickson Rd. S. at the A & P parking lot. The carnival is the Jaycees major means of financial support. This young lady was captured by the camera while enjoying herself at one of the many attractions at the carnival. Free Press Staff Phote Vol. 16, No. 17 Wednesday, April 30, 1986 Council approves 36 Pages procedural motion IL Transformation Whitby's Four Corners are presently undergoing a transformation giving downtown Whitby a new look. The Downtown Business Improvement Area is investing $500,000 in a three year program to im- prove and update the downtown core. Seen here are chairman of the BIA Ed Buffett, manager of the BIA, Georgian Phillips and Whitby Mayor Bob At- tersley turning dirt on the eve of the three year program. Workers are now tearing up the sidewalks on the east and west side of Brock St. S. and replacing them with interlocking bricks, trees and lamp-posts. Mrs. Phillips said the new look sidewalks will later be installed on Brock St. N. and then along Dundas St. This project is just one phase of the Community Area Improvement Program which Mrs. Phillips hopes will make the downtown core attractive to shoppers and merchants. The program is to be funded by the BIA, the Town of Whitby and the province. The sidewalk reconstruc- tion should be finished within a few weeks at which time benches will'be placed around the downtown area. Free Press Staff Photo By MIKE JOHNSTON Free Press Staff Council niembers wishing to Introduce a motion at a meeting of council which is not on the agenda, will now have to have the consent of two-thirds of the members present at the meeting before in- troducing the motion. This amendment to Whitby's procedural by- law was introduced at Monday night's council meeting by Councillor Marcel Brunelle, and was passed by the coun- cil. Councillor Brunelle introduced the motion in light of the recent even- ts which saw councillor Ross Batten introduce a motion to proceed im- mediately with repairs and renovations to Iroquois Park while staff enter into negotiations to assem- ble land to build a new recreational complex north of Rossland Rd. That motion caught Councillors Brunelle, Edwards and Mayor At- tersley by surprise at the meeting when coun- cillors Batten, Joe Drumm, Joe Bugelli and Gerry Emm voted in favour of it effec- tively side stepping the other three councillors. At the time Mayor Bob Attersley com- plained "it was only the· privilege of four mem- bers of council to know it (the motion) was coming." He pleaded with the four councillors to table the motion until it could be studied, but they passed the motion in a recorded vote of four to three. The new motion however, was not passed before a few council members aired their concerns. Councillor Bugelli ex- pressed a concern that the motion might "emasculate future councils." He informed council that he had checked the records for the past two years of Whitby council, and discovered that 38 motions had been in- troduced on the day of a council meeting. Motions which were urgent and important, said the councillor. Councillor Brunelle countered the argument saying that councillors could still put a motion on the agenda on a Thursday previous to the meeting. Councillor Joe Drumm said he would not support the motion because in the past previous councils had no problems with new motions being in- troduced. Councillor Edwards called the motion a wise mové, and said it would not impede council's ability to deal with problems in the town. Concerns were raised suggesting the motion would have a detrimen- tal effect on council if an issue had to be dealt with immediately, but Mayor Bob Attersley told council he foresaw no problem with the motion and the ability of council to act under it. Councillor Ross Bat- ten, seconded the motion saying council has had no great dif- ficulties in the past but he had no problem with the intent of the motion. - The motion was passed with no further discussion. .L-