Newsgroups: sci.bio,sci.environment,sci.energy,alt.activism
Subject: S.N.A.G.G.
From: fskanes@kean.ucs.mun.ca
Date: Tue, 10 Nov 1992 15:47:24 GMT
Organization: Memorial University. St.John's Nfld, Canada
X-NEWS: leif alt.activism: 22260

                      S.N.A.G.G.-ST. JOHN'S
             SAY NO TO AMERICAM GARBAGE-ST. JOHN'S
             P.O. BOX 1121 STN. C. ST. JOHN'S NEWFOUNDLAND
                               A1C 5M5



                         FACT SHEET

NORTH AMERICAN RESOURCE RECOVERY (NARR) is in the process of registering
a incinerator with our Provincial Government. Registration is expected
in the near future.

This incinerator will burn 3500 tonnes of garbage daily. The garbage for 
this incinerator will be shipped by container from New York and possibly 
the Eastern seaboard of the U.S.

The site for this incinerator is Long Harbour, Placentia Bay on the 
Avalon Pennisula. This is 1 1/2 hrs drive from St. John's.

The site was formerly the Albright and Wilson (ERCO) phosphorus plant which 
operated for 20 years. It has yet to be cleaned up although the plant has 
been closed for several years! Years ago red herring were found near the 
phosphorus plant area in Placentia and the pollution was attributed to
phosphorus. Recently, additional herring are being caught and these are
being analyzed.

NOTE---MR. BOB KENNEDY, PRESIDENT OF NARR, IS ON LEAVE FROM ALBRIGHT AND 
WISON FOR A 2 YEAR PERIOD.

The Avalon pennisula is the most densely populated part of the province 
with approximately 300,000 people, roughly half of the population of the
province.

The Avalon is very rich in natural resources and attracts many tourists.
Here are some examples-- St. Mary's Ecological Reserve, the 2nd largest 
gannet(bird) colony in North America; Avalon Wilderness Area; Avalon 
Caribou Herd; Salmonier Nature Park; Mistaken Point Ecological Reserve;
Witless Bay Ecological Reserve; Manuels River Historical Society; Castle 
Hill Historical Park. There are many more as well.

Both provincial opposition parties (PC/NDP) have publicly and formally come 
out against this project. Our government (Liberal) has yet to provide its'
position.

ACOA ( Atlantic Canada Opportunities Agency ) has funded NARR $937,000
for a feasibility study which is being done by Dames and Moore Canada.

NOTE-- JOHN CROSBIE IS THE FEDERAL MINISTER RESPONSIBLE FOR ACOA. LONG 
HARBOUR IS IN HIS DISTRICT, ST. JOHN'S WEST.

The company claims that 150 jobs will be created but haven't confirmed this
. We are told 40 at the most.

---------------------------------------------------------------------------


                          S.N.A.G.G.


S.N.A.G.G. St. John's is a non-profit, volunteer group of concerned 
citizens that was officially formed on May 20th 1992, to support S.N.A.G.G.
Placentia in its opposition to the proposed incinerator project for Long 
Harbour.

The SAY NO TO AMERICAN GARBAGE GROUP stands unconditionally against the 
importation and incineration of garbage as proposed by North American
Resource Recovery or any other agency.

S.N.A.G.G. is pleased to be an active member of the Coalition Against 
Incineration and offers its full support to other organizations as follows-
---ACTION ENVIRONMENT NFLD & LAB; ASSOCIATIN FOR ADULT EDUCATION; NLFD-LAB 
PUBLIC HEALTH ASSOCIATION; NEWFOUNDLAND AND LABRADOR WILDLIFE ASSOC;
EXTENSION COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT CO-OP; NFLD MEDICAL ASSOCIATION; 
ASSOCIATION OF REGISTERED NURSES OF NEWFOUNDLAND; IMACULATE CONCEPTION 
COUNCIL OF THE CATHOLIC WOMEN'S LEAGUE; TRINITY CONCEPTION COMMUNITY 
FUTURES; HOSPITALITY NEWFOUNDLAND AND LABRADOR.
All of these associations have lodged formal opposition to the project.

We are against this project because of our concern for the preservation of 
this island and its air, soil, and water and therefore the health and 
dignity of its inhabitants.

We stand together in the firm belief that the negative impact of this 
proposal will far outweigh any possible benefits that could be derived from 
such a ludicrous initiative and we call on the government of this province 
to reject this project immediately. We feel there is no excuse for ANY 
POLITICIAN OR BUREAUCRAT to be undecided about this proposal for lack of 
information and we demand that the members of our government inform the 
public of their individual and collective position in relation to  this 
issue.

We think there is no justification for wasting taxpayer's dollars on an 
ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT STUDY and strongly oppose this tacit admission of the 
project's continuation against the will of the majority of Newfoundlanders.

We are furthermore outraged by the $937.500.00 of federal tax dollars that 
ACOA  has granted to NARR to promote this project. This funding would be 
much better directed  to projects such as intensifying the Long Harbour 
cleanup, initiating or assisting recycling and/or composting developments, 
or providing support to a comprehensive waste management program. It is 
our position that we should be looking towards long term developments for 
this province. The tourism industry is a growing component in our economy, 
and we feel that developments such as this will be detrimental to further 
growth in this area.

At time when all peoples of this planet must be considered global citizens 
and awareness concerning environmental issues is dramatically rising, the 
provincial and federal governments should realize that the Long Harbour 
incinerator project is not a step in the right direction. 

Sine they do not it is S.N.A.G.G.'s declared mandate to bring this fact 
home to them as forcefully as possible. We hope to do this with the full 
majority support of the people of Newfoundland and Labrador, and we believe 
that we have their support.

Those Newfoundlanders and Labradorians who are not concerned with the 
importance of this issue must be made aware of the magnitude of this 
porposal and the consequences to our collective health and well being that 
will result from a facility such as the one proposed. As an island people
(for the most part) we must realize that these projects are targeted for 
economically depressed and somewhat isolated areas where acceptance by the 
people is easier to achieve, and where opposition, in terms of numbers, is 
more easliy ignored. It is intolerable to consider that we are first on the 
list of target dump sites because of our need for employment and the 
facilities that we have to offer. These `facilities' are nothing more than 
our land, sea and air.

The obvious question that must be posed by every thinking menber of Nfld & 
Lab is "If this project is so environmentally safe and economically 
beneficial, why would a company want to go through the extra expense and 
trouble of transporting waste here?"

S.N.A.G.G. notes that part of the answer to that question is quite obvious-
- THAT THE MAGNITUDE OF THE RESIDUE FROM SUCH A FACILITY SUCH AS THIS --UP 
TO 1200 TONNES PER DAY OF BOOTTOM ASH, FLY ASH, AND PARTICULAR MATTER, ALL 
OF IT CLASSIFIED AS HAZARDOUS WASTE-- is virtually impossible to dispose of 
properly. Eventually, problems with the soil, air , water and wildlife will 
develop which in turn will result in problems with us, the people. This is 
the reason that the province of Ontario has banned future incineration 
projects and part of the reason why we should as well. 

Incineration is not a technology that resolves the waste crisis we should 
welcome solutions that attack the problem at its root--refusing, reducing, 
reusing, recycling and composting if the benefits of clean air and water 
are to be preserved for the present and future generations of this island.

FINAL NOTE--IF ANYINE WOULD LIKE TO HELP PLEASE WRITE THE ADDRESS BELOW OR 
CONTACT ME DIRECTLY BY E-MAIL. FSKANES@KEAN.UCS.MUN.CA.  
ALSO, CAN ANYONE SUGGEST A NET CONNECTION OF ACTIVIST, ENVIRONMENTALISTS 
THAT WOULD BE INTERESTED IN THIS ISSUE ON A LIKAGE BASIS?

                                         Yours Truly

                                         Tim Angel, Chair
                                         S.N.A.G.G. St. John's
                                         P.O.Box 1121 Stn. C.
                                         St. John's, Newfoundland
                                         A1C 5M5   Canada





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