HomeMy WebLinkAbout2022-02-11Clarftwn
Electronic Council Communications Information
Package
Date: February 11, 2022
Time: 12:00 PM
Location: ECCIP is an information package and not a meeting.
Description: An ECCIP is an electronic package containing correspondence received by Staff for
Council's information. This is not a meeting of Council or Committee.
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Accessibility Coordinator, at 905-623-3379 ext. 2131.
Members of Council: In accordance with the Procedural By-law, please advise the Municipal Clerk
at clerks@clarington.net, if you would like to include one of these items on the next regular agenda
of the appropriate Standing Committee, along with the proposed resolution for disposition of the
matter. Items will be added to the agenda if the Municipal Clerk is advised by Wednesday at noon
the week prior to the appropriate meeting, otherwise the item will be included on the agenda for the
next regularly scheduled meeting of the applicable Committee.
Members of the Public: can speak to an ECCIP item as a delegation. If you would like to be a
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Electronic Council Communications Information Package
February 11, 2022
Pages
Region of Durham Correspondence
2. Durham Municipalities Correspondence
3. Other Municipalities Correspondence
4. Provincial / Federal Government and their Agency Correspondence
5. Miscellaneous Correspondence
5.1. Don Ciparis, President, National Farmers Union - Ontario - Regarding the 3
Proposed Anaerobic Digestor - February 7, 2022
Page 2
February 7, 2022
Mayor Foster and Municipal Council
Municipality of Clarington
40 Temperance Street
Bowmanville, ON L I C 3A6
Dear Mayor and Councillors,
It has come to the attention of the National Farmers Union — Ontario (NFU-0) that the Region of
Durham is proposing to build an anaerobic digestor near its municipal incinerator in Clarington.
This proposal has raised the concerns of our members in the Region and those of the Provincial
Council of the NFU-O.
The NFU-0 is an accredited farm organization representing thousands of sustainable family
farmers in Ontario and has advocated for farm families across Ontario and Canada since 1969.
The NFU-0 believes agriculture should be economically, socially and environmentally
sustainable and lead to enriched soils, biodiverse ecosystems, financially viable farms, healthy
and safe food and thriving rural communities. Members work together to achieve agricultural
policies that ensure dignity and income security for farm families, while protecting and
enhancing rural environments for current and future generations.
We advocate for the province to provide concrete supports for farmers to build soil health while
continuing to minimize soil contamination. Our policies on sewage sludge request that spreading
of untreated sludge be prohibited (Nov. 2001) and that spreading treated sewage sludge be
prohibited until processes are in place to remove heavy metals, pharmaceuticals, chemicals and
other toxic residues that are harmful to humans, animals and the environment (Nov. 2001, Nov.
2011).
The proposal presented here has a number of design flaws that are not being addressed including:
an incinerator that has violated Provincial Air Emissions standards, that same incinerator is now
being called on to perform service on three times the waste tonnage that it was designed for and
an anaerobic digestor that uses mixed organic waste that cannot be used as agricultural fertilizer
as determined by the Ontario Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs. The legality of the
proposal has been challenged by non -government organizations and First Nations communities.
The Durham Regional government must demonstrate the same forethought and leadership in this
important decision that it displayed in declaring a climate emergency in 2020 and developing a
plan for 100% reduction in GHG emissions by 2045.
Local members of the NFU-O and their Provincial Council are calling on the Regional
Government to impose an interim control by-law on the proposal until all Environmental
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Assessments are completed. Regional decision -makers can count on the NFU-O's support in
making the right decision.
Sincerely,
Don Ciparis
President, National Farmers Union - Ontario
CC.
Minister Piccini
Lindsey Park, MPP
Gord Robinson
Elizabeth Stocking
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