WHITBY FREE PRESS, WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 21, 1987 PAGE 9 New York resi*dentsmount opposition to Decorn By MIKE JOHNSTON The -fight againat Decoin Medical Waste Systeme mnc. is flot only ting place iWhtby- residents in New York State have become i- volved I their own fight. The confrontation is taking place in a small community called West- ford. 'Decom has ap- plied to buid a waste i- cinerator, in this com- munlty of 600 people af- ter it was forced to cloýè an incinerator in a town called Old Bethpage. The circumstances surrounding closure led to an investigation by theiitrlct attorney's office of Nassau County. "Decom bought out a company called Energy Combustion Cor- poration (ECC) in June of 1986," says Jerry IDonahew, deputy direc- Itor for the environmen- tal health department of the county. ECC had been operating fiye in- cinerators at the Old Bethpage location when Decom purchased the company, Donahew told The Free Press. After the, purchase, Decom closed the incinerators but kep t open a waste transfer station. Parents and teachers at a school located about one-eight of a mile from the incmnerators had been fighting to have them closed. Donahew said Decom then began constructing an incinerator of its OMM., Officiais at Decom 's Gatineau, Quebec office were unavailable for com- ment. "But that construc- tion was neyer com- pleted, " says Donahew. It was discovered that the land on which the in- cinerators had been sit- ting for the past five years was neyer zoned properly. Donahew says the land was zoned llght i- dustrial while the i- cinerators require a heavy industrial zoning. Decom then moved the operation to West- ford, a community six miles from Cooper- stown, a tourist town that is home to the Major League Basebal hall of Fame., Donahew says that as of Dec. 31, the waste transfer station has also been closed at Old Beth- page. Opposition has also been made to Decom's Westford site. A group known asFriends Against Toxic Emissions, (FATE) became involved. Lewis Smith Jr. of Scanivus, a member of FATE, says Decom has had a number of en- vironmental violations. Scanivus is located two miles fromn West- ford "smnack in the mid- dle of thé impact area if there was ever an ac- cident, " says Smith. He .explains that FATE was formed a week ago with five people. and no>w bas more than 5o0. FATE is asking that a state en- vironmental quality review hearing be held on the Decom ap- plication. "Through the SEQR process, which involves public hearings, Decom would have to, provide studios, background documentation and other information that this incinerator will not affect the environment. "It will be a costly and time-consuxning process for Decom," says Smith. He adds that the ap- plication Is to build one incinerator then con- struct two. more as market conditions dic- tate. "The incinerator would- be capable of handllng 15,000 lbs. of pathological .waste an hour, 24 hours a day. "That works out to 12% million pounds a year, " said Smith. In an effort to find, out more about. the in- cinerators, FATE sent a delegation to Gatineau. Waste transferred at the station proposed -for Whitby is destineci for incineration at Gatineau. Smith says the delegation described the operation as "pretty dlean" but there was a bad odor. .Members of the group saw tiucks with New York state license plates enterig the area. Donahew says the in- cinerator which used to be located in Old Be'th- page handled waste as a back-up system to the many hospitals in and around New York City. He says hie doesn't know if that,,waste is now 'being transported to Gatineau for in- cineration. Smith says the in- cinerator set for West- ford would burn waste from hospitals located in Boston, Long Island and New York. He says the waste going to the icinerator will be tran- sported right by bis house. "'We have no specific guidelixies on the han- dMing, storage and tran- sportation of this waste, " he says. "The state is working on it but it will be a while before .they are completed."' He also says Decom has not presented any lans on'a landfill site where the burnt waste will be stored. The group is finan- cially supported by its members but Smith points out that the West- ford location is five miles away from a resort area which is home to a number of wealthy people. "'They may be helpng. us,"-he points out.' 'II think we. have caught them before they were prepared. "IWe have neyer had anything like this. We neyer exýpected it. " Record number of grads employed A record number of Durham College's 1986 graduates have oh- tained employment., Approximately 96.5 per cent of this year's graduates are employed and 87.3 par cent of these are working in positions related to their course' of study at Durham. This is a par cent increase over last year's placement in related employement. The health sciences faculty enjoyed _the highest placement rates with 99 per cent 'of graduates employed. Applied arts and technology tied for second.place' with 96 per cent placement, and the business faculty had a 95 percent placem ent rate. THE CORPORATION 0F THE TOWN 0F WHITBY CONTRACT W87-12 SALE 0F RESIDENTIAL BUILDING LOT Offers to purchase wiII be reoeived by Mrs. Gal Gosîeîgh, Purchaslng Agent untîl 2:00 p.m., Wed- nesday, February 4, 1987 for the sale of a residen- tial building lot on Ontario Street East, Whitby, Ontario. Offer to purchase forms are avaîlable at the Town of Whitby Treasury Department, 575 Rossland Road East, Whitby, Ontario. Telephone (416) 668-5803, extension 236. Highest or any offer to purchase not necessariîy accepted. Mrs. Gall Goselgh Da.rrhsin Ac.nt Solid Oak &Pine Craftsmen Since 1914 Markham l 2 The- Barn: Workshop & Showroomn: Whitby: Rd. & Steeles Ave. 370-Denison St. E., Markham. 111 Dunlop St. W.-at Brock'St. M9-2279 475-2488 668-2770 The l3th Annual ýWoodcraft Januar ale TraifinalNewYeas' avigsfrom the people who have brought you solid craftsmanship and lasting value in fine fumiture for the past 13 years. 301 Byron St. S. Whltby 666-3070 January Luncheon Special 11:30a.mn.-2:OOp.m. reg $5.50 2f for I Bring a Friend!1 Dinner Special SUNDAY & MONDAY 6p.m. - 9 p.m. Choose any 2 Entrees & get the Lesser for FREE We also have large Banquet facilities for special occassions. ~ Ends Jan. 31187 LIVE ENTERTAINMENT FR1 DAY & SATURDAY NIGHTS. I 15ý% Off Al B edroom Fumiture PACU GEMI OA K S tore-Wide S avings Clearance items up to 40% Off See Our Unbeatable Wall Units', Entertainment Centres, & Bookeases. -Barn opqnSur;ldays l'am-5pm:ý'-. Il- Nassau County investigation 65" 6 Drawer Dresser 1 x 2 Drawer 20" Night Table 32"ix 50" Homestead Wall Mirror Postureboard. Set Reg. $24 10, SALE. $1987 Plus FREE Queen Size Mattress i1 Hoèmestead Spindie Bed Medium Wardrobe 2 Door 3 Drawer Dresser 1 x 20" Harvest Night Table Regular Trifold Mirror Set Reg. $5280 Sale $4480 SAVE $800 Plus FREE Queen Size Mattresssa & Box, Spring il-Y 1987