On Thursday, August 5, 2010, Wes Keller wrote an article titled: “False Information is being spread”. I would like to add my support to the Melancthon Resident who does not support the Dufferin Eco- Energy Park. I have my Bachelor of Science in Biology. I am not a “Researching Expert”, like the person referred to the article. However, I support all the work that individual has done in order to make informed decisions, and comments.

On Thursday, August 12, 2010 at 7 p.m., there is going to be a meeting at the Orangeville Fair\grounds on waste management. Dufferin County wants to “assume all waste management responsibilities” over all eight lower-tier municipal councils. It is being hosted by CDC-Dufferin Council’s Community Development Committee, and all eight lowertier municipal councils are invited. It is interesting to note that there is no Melancthon representative on this CDC Council. CDC’s mandate is to bring more development into Dufferin County. Development of new roads, train, more wind turbines, more gravel extraction, ORICA ammonium nitrate explosives factory, water purification facility, DEEP’s garbage incineration, housing etc. CDC have received $50,000 seed money from Dufferin County, with additional funds from Developers. They will undoubtedly be promoting the DEEP facility and the sale of the rail bed for $7 million, money that will be used in part to expand Dufferin County’s court building in Orangeville.

Then on September 9, a full county council would amend the bylaw to allow the DEEP centre. Dufferin County is a weighted voting system. Out of a possible 30 votes, Orangeville’s mayor gets seven votes; Orangeville’s deputy mayor gets six votes, so they only need three more votes to win over smaller townships within Dufferin County.

Here are some facts:

1. Michigan’s dump is closing their borders in 2010 to Ontario’s garbage. Shelburne and Orangeville currently send their garbage to Michigan, so they will have will soon have no where to send their garbage. If Shelburne voted in favor of DEEP, along with Orangeville, then they would get majority vote of 16 out of 30 votes.

2. Smaller Townships within Dufferin have landfill sites for their local garbage. The reduce, reuse and recycle programs are working well.

3. The DEEP facility, Dufferin Eco-Energy Park, is actually a garbage incineration dump. The smoke stacks will release cancer-causing dioxins and florins. The slag byproduct contains cadmium and arsenic, and there is no guarantee it won’t leach out if mixed with concrete or is put on our roads. The water used to cool the gases will be contaminated and need to go to a water purification facility. Currently Dufferin County does not have a means to clean this water, so a water purification facility will need to be built, or the contaminated water sent out of Dufferin.

I do not think it is wise to expose residents living nearby to these cancer-causing gases, to risk the possibility of contaminating the ground water supply, or to have garbage possibly stockpiled, or sent to area dump sites during down time. Smaller townships will not be able to handle the volume or deal with the hazards of this garbage. These are the main reasons I do not support DEEP.

4. The ‘tipping fees’ that will be charged smaller townships will possibly raise our taxes.

5. The DEEP facility will have a down time of a minimum of two weeks, for the replacement of the plasma torches. Other facilities have had much longer down times. Then where is all the garbage going? Is it to be stored on site, or sent to area landfill sites? Either way, do we want Dufferin to turn into the next Michigan dump site?

6. Human waste is to be renamed “compost”. Peel is interested in sending us their “compost”. Is ‘compost’ along with medical and biohazard waste destined for vaporization in the Dufferin Gasification Chambers or Dufferin Eco- Energy Park?

7. The Developer “Westinghouse” is located in Calgary. However, Calgary does not use their plasma incineration technology. Why not? This technology has a problematic track record. When Melancthon councilors visited a test facility in Pennsylvania they came away with more questions than answers.

Wouldn’t it be ironic if the railbed was sold to Highlands Company and the train was to bring garbage from the cities to the DEEP garbage facility. Then, after unloading garbage, the empty train proceeded to Melancthon to load limestone, sand and gravel, headed for Owen Sound Harbour, and then out of country?

I suggest you do a little research yourselves, and become informed, so that you can ask questions at the Waste management meeting.

A Concerned Citizen

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Wes Keller stated for the record that things needed to be clarified in what has become the battle between some Melancthonites.

We are not antagonists who have been spreading false information, but we are residents of Melancthon who have real concerns and issues and are intelligent, educated individuals.

First of all, I take offence to the name Melancthonites. Would people like being called Shelburnites or Orangevilleites? I think not.

Secondly, Wes stated that the myth is that the Highlands companies would suddenly have a 2,400-acre quarry, 200 feet deep, that we have this myth that it would be an overnight development. Whoever in there right mind stated that? I’m sure they were not from Melancthon.

Thirdly, Wes stated that another Melancthonite claims to be a researching expert.

What is wrong with looking a the pros and cons of any issue? If I were making a life-changing decision would I not look at both sides of the coin?

Forthly, Wes stated that another Melanthonite rails about a weighted vote from Orangeville at County meetings. Precedence has already been set; Orangeville did squander taxpayers’ money on getting a ruling in their favour on the rail sale issue. Can we afford to take this chance in upcoming issues?

To sum all this up: Wes stated, if we don’t like the changes that are being foisted upon us, let us oppose with honesty and not use untruths and fearmongering as one of our weapons.

I think Wes is right. Let’s not. Also let’s not stick our heads in the sand.

Nancy Malloy

Melancthon