New application sludge in Port Hope

A company called Terratec has applied for a certificate of approval to
spread biosolids on three large plots of farmland in Ward 2 of the Town
of Port Hope (formerly Hope Township). I am among the local residents
fighting this, but we need advice and guidance before it's finalized at
a town council meeting on Tuesday (June 11).

Brief background: The former township of Hope passed a bylaw in 1995
banning the use of biosolids in its jurisdiction. This was challenged by
the towns of Port Hope and Cobourg at the OMB, which tossed out the
bylaw. The settlement allowed any licensed contractor to apply for
certificates of approval to dump waste in the township, but the council
could recommend restrictions. Subsequently, of course, Hope and Port
Hope amalgamated, and it's now all one municipality. The town of Port
Hope signed a contract in 1996 with Prism Resource Management Limited,
and extended it in 2001 under the name of Azurix North America, which
apparantly is the same company as Terratec.

I have several questions which I hope people on this list can answer,
and a request:

1. Is there any way we can stop this? The town council says it's out of
its hands, since the MOE has the sole power to approve or reject this
application.

2. Does any municipality ban outright the dumping of biosolids? Has this
action been challenged or does it stand today?

3. If we can't stop it, what conditions should we ask to be put on the
certificate of approval?

4. What is the record of Prism/Azurix/Terratec elsewhere? Has this
company ever been implicated in health or environmental damage?

5. The minutes of settlement arrived at before the OMB and signed in
September 1998 contain a provision saying the "agreement shall be
reviewed by the parties from time to time but in any event at least once
every five years commencing from the first day of June, 1997." To my
knowledge, that has not been done. Could we use this to delay the
certificate of approval and open the whole matter up?

And now my request:

Aside from sending me your advice, I wonder if you could e-mail a letter
of concern to: Mayor and Councillors,
The Municipality of Port Hope
P.O. Box 112, 56 Queen St., Port Hope ON L1A 3V9

The e-mail address is admin at town.porthope.on.ca

Thank you,


John Miller
semiller at sympatico.ca