Moffat chosen by Durham Liberals Doug Moffatt, a former New Democratic MPP for the Durham East provincial riding, has been nominated as the Liberal candidate for the newly created federal riding of Durham. Moffatt, 51, a manager with United Parcel Services, defeated Ivan Grose of Courtice at the riding's first nomination meeting held last week at Port Perry High School. Results of the vote were not released but 319 votes were cast. During his opening speech, Moffatt downplayed his switch from the NDP to the Liberal party and even suggested it would help him in the election if he won the nomination. "The worst thing you can say about a politician is, who is he?" said Moffatt, noting that voters remember him as the Durham East provincial NDP candidate which includes many areas in the Durham federal riding. The newly created riding includes north .Whitby, north Oshawa and all of Uxbridge, Scugog and Newcastle townships. Moffatt said he switched By Debbie Luchuk The experimental berm at Lake Ontario Steel Co. (LASCO) may not be subject to an environmental assessment hear- ing if there are no objections by because his friends are Liberals and "The political ides I support are Liberal. "I left the NDP because I disagreed with their policies," he said, mentioning the NDP position on NATO and govern- ment intervention. But he noted that the main issue in the next federal election will be free trade. "Mulroney thinks he can trade Canada the way Peter Pock- lington traded Wayne Gretzky. Well, the price isn't right," said Moffatt. He claimed that Prime Minister Brian Mulroney has "confused" Canadians with the deal. "Resources, water, energy and our culture - Mulroney is trading that away," said Moffatt. Canada is being governed by a weak federal government which is led by a weak prime minister, he said. After he won the nomination, Moffatt said he should be able to SEE PAGE 3 the public, according to Bernie Mathe of the Ministry of the Environment's approvals branch. "We must have submissions to determine when a hearing is to be held. The minister may decide with no objections that a hearing can be waived," Mathe said. He said that there have been tests on leachate, collected around the area of the berm, to determine whether groundwater and local water supplies are being polluted. Mathe added that the ministry has been looking into similar waste disposal berm operations in Quebec and the U.S. to see what effects those berming operations have on the environment. These studies have been carried out by consultants at LASCO as part of the reporting process, Mathe said, and other tests (i.e. tests for inflammability) will probably be carried out by the LASCO consultants. These tests could be submitted as part of the assessment. "We're getting a fairly good presentation of data from LASCO and their consultants," Mathe concluded. No date has been set for an environmental hearing nor is it known when final approval for further berming will be forth- coming. Durham Region planning staff indicated earlier this summmer that they have some concerns regarding the berm operation. LASCO applied to amend the Region official plan to permit the berming operation. Region planning staff, in the SEE PAGE 5 DANIELLE PARK (left) and Chris Tracey of the Arthur Murray Dance School swing during a demonstration on Saturday as part-of the Black Tie sale downtown on Saturday, while below, on Thursday, one of those selling top hats adjusts her own as the balloon-filling clown appears to look on. Agnes Disney Fashionable Half Sizes was judged as best dressed store window (Valerie's Boutique second) and Collections by Sharon had the best dressed staff (Mid- summer's Dream second) in the BIA sale. Free Press photo If no objections, no hearing over berm Dancin'in the street