MV Incineration 'expert', maybe not so much..

So, the front page of the Vancouver Sun catches my eye this morning with this headline:

Pro-incineration expert denied risks of second-hand smoke

(click to read the article) http://www.vancouversun.com/health/incineration+expert+denied+risks+second+hand+smoke/2066149/story.html

Now, I heard rumblings of this a week ago, and a caller asked this question of MV CAO Johnny Carline on CKNW on Saturday... the response to this from MV has been, to say the least, under-whelming.

At considerable cost to the taxpayers of the Metro Vancouver region, the GVRD or Metro Vancouver has been hosting public information sessions regarding their 'Solid Wast Management Plan'. If you have attended these events, you know a few things about them:

1) They should be retitled "On the road to incineration", as this is the only topic discussed and is being touted as the only salvation for our garbage problem.

2) Their 'expert panel' consists only of waste to energy proponents - originaly there was a member of the Canadian Energy from Waste Coalition (commercial waste to energy companies), Mr. Bridges, and a consultant from a Waste to Energy consulting company in Denmark. When asked why there are no alternate opinions being expressed on the panel, Marvn Hunt, Metro Vancouver Waste Management committee chair said " If you have 5 people telling you the world is round, do you really need someone there to argue that it is flat ? "

3) Various members of Metro Vancouver board and committee, and staff have all made a point of saying that Metro Vancouver has made great strides in their waste reduction strategies. I have to wonder, what these would be ? (And, no, E-Waste collection via return-it depots is NOT a Metro Vancouver initiative, and if you look into it, is not a really good program) Are we talking about the cardboard ban in the waste stream ? Wasnt that about 15 years ago ??

Where are the construction waste policies, or the capture of the 50% or more of the waste stream made up of fibres and organics (paper, wood, etc) ??

In fact, the per capita output of waste (including disposed and diverted) continues to climb, excessive packaging is more prevalent than ever - and Metro Vancouver is waging a silly, and very expensive, war on bottled water producers.

So , when people are wary of Metro Vancouver, using a stacked panel with questionable credibility taking their roadshow around the region to justify what could be a $ 5 billion plus plan to build incinerators, which will rely on a sustainable waste stream (do you get the irony here) to run the burners and generate the energy revenue projected, CAN YOU BLAME THEM ?

If we put this kind of effort into a waste reduction plan, enhanced recycyling programs and public education programs, we could start to understand the definiation of sustainability !