Ontario Hansard - 08-June-2006

WASTE DIVERSION

Ms. Laurie Scott (Haliburton-Victoria-Brock): My question is to the Minister of the Environment. Recently, the US company that has been accepting sludge from Toronto said they won't do it anymore and Toronto will need to find another location to take their sludge by August 1 this year. The city of Toronto has put on a brave face, but nobody is lining up to take this sludge. This is only a sample of the problems Ontario could face if the US border were to close to garbage.

Minister, what is your amazing plan, and what will you do when Toronto comes to you on July 31 and tells you they don't have a place for their sludge?

Hon. Laurel C. Broten (Minister of the Environment): I know that I've answered this question before, and I'll certainly repeat that I know the city of Toronto is working diligently to locate a location to put their waste. That is their responsibility. It would be highly inappropriate for me as Minister of the Environment to be involved in their private negotiations as they undertake that examination. But I have every confidence that the city of Toronto -- Shelley Carroll and Mayor Miller -- will find a solution to this difficult issue for them, as it is their responsibility to do.

Ms. Scott: Clearly, the city of Toronto is worried. Councillor Michael Del Grande has openly admitted, "We have no plan."

When he was in opposition, leader Dalton McGuinty said it is unreasonable and irresponsible to create a site for Toronto's waste unless there is consent by the whole community. Minister, do you stand by that statement? Are you going to ship sludge to some unsuspecting community with no notice whatsoever?

Hon. Ms. Broten: I'd certainly like to provide my colleague and the opposition with some more information. It has been reported that the mayor says Republic, their current hauler, has an obligation to find Toronto another landfill for its sludge. Again, that's a contractual matter between the city and Republic. We're not privy to those details, and neither should we be. But we certainly expect that both parties will resolve this matter very expediently.