Mayors vote to abandon local incinerator project, still open to “regional solution”
Mayors vote to abandon local incinerator project, still open to “regional solution”
The MRC Pontiac council of mayors meeting on Wednesday (May 15) was well attended, with roughly fifty people filling the public seating and spilling out into the hall. One of the hot-button items on the agenda that night was a resolution brought forward by Litchfield council and presented by Litchfield Mayor Colleen Larivière, calling for abandoning the MRC’s proposed waste incinerator project.
During the public question period, Jennifer Quaile, an Otter Lake councillor and member of the MRC waste management committee, announced the results of a petition she helped launch in opposition to the incinerator on behalf of citizens group Friends of the Pontiac. She said that after 8 months, the petition gathered 3,255 signatures both online and in person, and noted that 73% were residents of MRC Pontiac, with another 13% from neighbouring communities (Renfrew County, Municipality of Pontiac, etc.).
The full audio of the public question period (38:47 to 1:06:04) can be found here.
After the incinerator resolution was read by Larivière, an amendment was proposed by L’Isle-aux-Allumettes Mayor Corey Spence. It changed one of the lines regarding MRC offficials’ pursuit of zero waste, from “invest all their efforts into a zero waste policy for the MRC Pontiac” to “focus their efforts to aspire to zero waste, as outlined in the objectives of the 2023-2030 PGMR, and to continue working with the three MRCs and the City of Gatineau to find the best regional solution for our residual waste” (full text at the end of the article).
The 2023-2030-PGMR is a planning document for the MRC’s waste management. While it is available in French only, an English summary is available here.
The amendment was accepted unanimously and all 18 mayors subsequently voted in favour of the amended resolution.
Speaking with media following the meeting, MRC Pontiac Warden Jane Toller said that while they had given up on a 400,000 ton facility and for further MRC funding, they would be looking into regional solutions for waste from the Outaouais.
“Looking on a positive note, what I would like to say is, we brought the Pontiac together and we’ve got everybody’s attention so now we have to take advantage of that and work hard on the composting and recycling,” she said.
When asked directly if she still thought the Pontiac was a willing host for some kind of regional waste solution, incinerator or otherwise, given that 16 of the 18 municipalities have rescinded their support for the initial project, Toller said “I think I should keep my comments to myself on this one, because there’s no good way to say what I feel.”
She became defensive when questioned about the pushback the proposal received as far back as the initial public consultations in June 2023, where she shared promotional material from the incineration company Covanta.
The amended resolution passed by the mayors is below:
“Considering that the municipal council of Litchfield has unanimously adopted a motion opposing the EFW project [resolution 2024-04-57];
Considering that the Pontiac population have clearly demonstrated their opinion regarding the EFW incinerator project, be it by attending the five [5] public information meetings, MRC public meetings, Municipal public meetings, social media, local newspapers, petitions, etc.;
Considering that a majority of the municipalities on the territory of the MRC Pontiac have recently rescinded support of the EFW Incinerator project;
Considering that the Municipality of Litchfield has requested that a motion be tabled at the MRC Pontiac Regional Meeting of May 15th, 2024;
Consequently,
It was moved by (….) and resolved :
That all procedures and/or actions by the Warden and by the MRC staff be ceased immediately in regards to the EFW incinerator project;
That no funds from the MRC Pontiac budget or any type of grant or program money be allocated for any expenses (studies, communications, etc.) related to the EFW incinerator project;
That the MRC waste committee of the MRC of Pontiac and the MRC staff responsible for residual materials management focus their efforts to aspire to zero waste, as outlined in the objectives of the 2023-2030 PGMR, and to continue working with the three MRCs and the City of Gatineau to find the best regional solution for our residual waste;
That the EFW incinerator project be abandoned completely;
That this resolution be forwarded to all Municipalities on the territory of the Pontiac.”
