NEWS CLIPPINGS POSTED AFTER FEB. 12 , 2006
IN NIAGARA THIS WEEK
ARTICLE BY MIKE STURMAN -- Feb 10, 2006
WAINFLEET CONTAMINATION NO CRISIS, GROUP INSISTS
CRITICS OF THE REGION'S PLAN TO BUILD A MULTIMILLION-DOLLAR SEWER AND WATER PIPELINE FROM PORT COLBORNE TO SERVICE WAINFLEET ARE OBJECTING TO THE USE OF THE WORD "CRISIS" TO DESCRIBE THE TOWNSHIP'S CONTAMINATED WATER CONCERNS.
BETTY KONC IS CHAIR OF THE WAINFLEET SEWER AND WATER COMMITTEE, A GRASSROOTS GROUP WORKING TO HAVE THE REGION FIND AN ALTERNATIVE TO BUILDING A $50- TO $70-MILLION PIPELINE TO CONNECT 1,400 HOMES ALONG THE WAINFLEET LAKESHORE TO WATER AND SEWER TREATMENT PLANTS IN PORT COLBORNE. ESTIMATED HOOKUP COSTS TO INDIVIDUAL HOMEOWNERS COULD BE AS HIGH AS $35,000, DEPENDING ON HOW FAR AWAY THEY ARE LOCATED FROM THE PROPOSED PIPELINE. .
KONC VOICED SEVERAL CONCERNS IN A RECENT INTERVIEW WITH THIS WEEK, INCLUDING CRITICISM OF COMMENTS BY WAINFLEET MAYOR GORD HARRY THAT ATTRACTED A LOT OF MEDIA ATTENTION IN DECEMBER, WHEN HE COMPARED THE WATER CONTAMINATION PROBLEM ALONG THE WAINFLEET LAKESHORE TO THE TAINTED WATER CRISIS AT THE REMOTE KASHECHEWAN CREE RESERVE ON THE SOUTHERN SHORE OF JAMES BAY. RESIDENTS WERE AIRLIFTED FOR MEDICAL TREATMENT AFTER WATER CONTAMINATION CAME TO LIGHT ON THE RESERVE. .
KONC SAID SHE ALSO TAKES EXCEPTION WITH CHARACTERIZING THE WAINFLEET LAKESHORE AS A CRISIS SITUATION. AS FAR AS CONCERNS OF WATER CONTAMINATION IN THE TOWNSHIP, SHE SAID PEOPLE NEED TO KNOW THERE IS ANOTHER SIDE TO THE STORY IN WAINFLEET. .
"WE ARE NOT IN A CRISIS. THERE IS NO WAY, NO HOW, THAT THIS IS A CRISIS," SHE SAID. KONC EXPLAINED HOW SHE WAS AMONG THOSE WHO TRIED TO MAKE THAT POINT AT A PUBLIC ADVISORY COMMITTEE MEETING LAST OCTOBER. THE PAC IS COMPRISED OF RESIDENTS AND REGION OFFICIALS WHO MEET REGULARLY FOR UPDATES ON THE STATUS OF THE PROPOSAL. .
KONC TOOK THE REGION'S OFFICIALS TO TASK OVER THE USE OF THE WORD "CRISIS" IN A NIAGARA REGION FALL NEWSLETTER THAT PROVIDES UPDATES ON THE WAINFLEET WATER SERVICING SOLUTION, AS IT'S TERMED. .
"WHEN WE PINNED THEM DOWN ABOUT THE WORD "CRISIS", IN THEIR LAST PUBLICATION OF THE HEALTHY ENVIRONMENT, THEY ADMITTED CRISIS WAS THE WRONG USE OF THE WORD," SHE SAID. .
WAINFLEET HAS APPLIED TWICE FOR FUNDING FOR THE PROJECT FROM THE CANADA ONTARIO MUNICIPAL RURAL INFRASTRUCTURE FUND (COMRIF). THE SECOND ROUND OF SUCCESSFUL APPLICATIONS ARE EXPECTED TO BE ANNOUNCED AT THE EARLIEST AT THE END OF FEBRUARY. WAINFLEET'S UNSUCCESSFUL FIRST APPLICATION WAS FOR $50-MILLION WITH THE TOWNSHIP APPLYING FOR $35 MILLION FOR THIS SECOND ROUND OF COMRIF MONEY AMONG A TOTAL OF 339 APPLICATIONS. .
KONC SAID SHE ALSO HAS QUESTIONS ABOUT THE FINANCING OF THE PROJECT AND WHAT LOCAL PROPERTY OWNERS WILL BE EXPECTED TO PAY AND WHAT ANY CONTINGENCY PLANS ARE SHOULD THE COMRIF APPLICATION NOT BE APPROVED. .
"WITH A PROJECT THIS SIZE, YOU'VE GOT TO HAVE A PLAN B IN MIND," SHE SAID. .
KONC SAID THE CURRENT FINANCIAL NUMBERS FOR THE PROJECT DON'T ADD UP. .
"THE FIRST INTAKE THEY APPLIED FOR $50-MILLION AND EVEN AT THAT WE WERE STILL GOING TO HAVE TO PAY $31,400, ACCORDING TO THE ENVIRONMENTAL ASSESSMENT REPORT WHICH CAME OUT IN JUNE. SO, WITH $35-MILLION BEING APPLIED FOR IN THE SECOND INTAKE, WHICH IS $15 MILLION LESS, HOW DO THEY FIGURE THEY'LL GET THE HOOKUP COSTS DOWN TO $17,000 AS HAS BEEN SUGGESTED? .
"THEY NEED TO STOP TALKING NUMBERS BECAUSE WE'RE NOT GOING TO KNOW WHAT IT'S GOING TO COST US, IF THE PIPELINE GOES IN, UNTIL IT'S ACTUALLY IN THE GROUND," SHE SAID. .
KONC SAID JUST BECAUSE $35-MILLION WAS APPLIED FOR DOESN'T MEAN THE TOWNSHIP IS GOING TO GET THAT AMOUNT IF THEIR APPLICATION IS SUCCESSFUL. .
IN THE WELLAND TRIBUNE
WHAT READERS SAY --Feb.17 , 2006
WAINFLEET AWAITS GRANT REPLY
ARTICLE by THE WAINFLEET TOWNSHIP COUNCIL ? ?
IN THE WELLAND TRIBUNE
ARTICLE By SHELAH BROOKS, Tribune Staff
WAINFLEET BUDGET DISCUSSIONS Jan. 27, 2006
IN NIAGARA THIS WEEK
ARTICLE ABOUT NPCA Feb 10, 2006
IN THE INPORT NEWS
ARTICLE about LAKEWOOD CAMP
BY SHELA BROOKS News Staff Feb 15, 2006
IN NIAGARA THIS WEEK
ARTICLE about WATER , WATER ? Feb 10, 2006
Mayor Gord Harry
PHONE: (905) 899-2625EMAIL: gharry@township.wainfleet.on.ca Alderman Evan Main PHONE: (905) 899-2633 or (905) 899-1250 EMAIL: emain@township.wainfleet.on.ca Alderman Patrick Robson EMAIL: probson@township.wainfleet.on.ca Alderwoman Barbara Henderson PHONE: (905) 386-0977 EMAIL: bhenderson@township.wainfleet.on.ca Alderman Rudy Warkentin PHONE: (905) 899-1358 EMAIL: rwarkentin@township.wainfleet.on.ca MPP -ERIE-LINCOLN TIM HUDAK , MPP PHONE: (905) 382-0322 FAX : (905) 382-0315 EMAIL: timhudak@niagara.net MPP JOHN MALONEY PHONE: (905) 788-2204 FAX : (905) 788-0071 EMAIL: malonj@parl.gc.ca PROJECT MANAGER , Regional Niagara BOB STEELE EMAIL: bob.steele@regional.niagara.on.ca
They are listening and know we aren't going away!
Here's hoping for some changes to the problems .
