ACTION
Alert
Public Concern
Temiskaming
Liberals Fast track New Adams Mine Bid
November
16, 2003
New Liskeard -- Barely 30 days into office, the new Liberal government has made the shocking decision to issue a draft permit to drain the Adams Mine. The draft permit sets the stage for Adams Mine Rail Haul to begin pumping 26 million litres of groundwater out of the pit, everyday for to up two years. Once drained, the pit will then be filled with garbage. The move flies in the face of an election promise by Premier Dalton McGuinty to halt all development at Adams Mine pending a full review of the controversial project.
The draft approval was posted on the EBR registry after the end of last Friday's working day. The approval has boxed public comment in to a narrow 45-day review with no chance for appeal. The EBR posting has completely blindsided northerners who were assured, just days before, by staff in Environment Minister Leona Dombrowksys office, that the Liberals were fully committed to McGuinty's election promise.
Terry Graves says the speed with which Dombrowsky's office has moved, makes it clear that reviving Adams Mine is a top priority of her administration.
"Either Leona Dombrowsky has no control over the permitting in her own office, or she has decided that fulfilling the timelines of the Cortellucci group should be the first order of business for the new government."
Earlier this year, the Liberal opposition blasted the Conservative government over allegations of backroom deals with the Cortellucci group, who are main backers of a new Adams Mine deal. The company has a narrow window of opportunity for pumping the pit in order to be able to compete for Toronto's 2005 garbage contract. Graves says Dombrowsky has moved even faster than the pro-Adams Mine Tories.
"Dombrowsky has barely taken office and we're being hit with a permitting process that puts us further behind the eight ball than anything being contemplated by the Conservatives. Dombrowsky's people have clearly set out to limit the public input and have chosen to ignore mounting scientific evidence about the dangers posed to the Temiskaming watershed by this project."
The draft water permits were issued just days after it was revealed that MOE staff had issued a memo seeking out possible waste volumes for Adams Mine. It is not yet known where Premier Dalton McGuinty stand in terms of this major turnaround of an election promise.
Contact
Leona Dombrowsky and let her know what you think!!!
We need to push back fast or we will be faced with the promoter having
the legal right to begin building the dump!
Contact Leona Dombrowsky via the web: http://www.leonadombrowsky.com/feedback.html
Contact Leona Dombrowsky via email: Leona_Dombrowsky-MPP@ontla.ola.org
Contact Leona Dombrowsky by phone toll free at: 1-877-536-6248 or direct dial at 416.314.6790
Respect the North
http://adamsmine.f2o.org
(link updated on January 15, 2004 as per L. Hillman)
Return to DAWN Ontario index page
Page last updated Nov. 18, 2003