Protect the Ridges/Media Release

MEDIA RELEASE
THURSDAY JUNE 6, 2002
PROTECT THE RIDGES PUBLIC MEETING

Enfield, Ontario:

Last evening about 300 concerned citizens packed the Enfield Church to
hear an update from Protect the Ridges on the group's 2 year battle to
have testing and monitoring of paper sludge, the Sound-Sorb gun berm and
a compost site on the Oak Ridges Moraine carried out by the Ministry of
the Environment.

In addition to an update of the group's progress to date, the evening
consisted of a panel discussion on 'Creating the Political Momentum
for Action'. The panel consisted of Mr. John O'Toole ( Durham MPP ), Mr.
Doug Moffatt (Scugog Mayor and Durham Region Councilor ), and Mr. Ken
Gorman ( Durham Director of Environmental Health ).

At the meeting it was announced by Mr. O'Toole that he had received a
promise from Environment Minister The Hon Chris Stockwell, in the
Legislative Assembly of Ontario, on Tuesday June 4th, that the much
anticipated test results on the massive Sound-sorb berm at the Oshawa
Skeet and Gun Club would be released within two weeks. Mr. Stockwell
also promised that the test wells to monitor the groundwater would be
drilled by July, and that the bioaerosol study would be started by the
end of June. These studies were originally promised in August 2000.
The Ministry will also review its controversial decision to exempt
Sound-sorb from environmental regulations based on these testing
results.

While encouraged by this announcement, Protect the Ridges co-chair Kevin
Campbell stated " This is the third Minister that has put forth promises
in the past two years, yet the Durham office of the MOE can't seem to
get it's act together to produce results. We will eagerly await the
promised actions while investigating all avenues, including legal,
available to us at this time. Our patience has truly run out."

Protect the Ridges concerns grow the longer these wastes leach into the
groundwater.

For more information contact Deb Vice ( 905-655-5045 ) or Kevin Campbell

( 905-655-1048 )