NDP calling for tire burning ban following pilot project approval
Nova Scotia’s opposition New Democrats presented a petition and a bill in the legislature Tuesday calling on the Liberal government to ban tire burning in the province.
The party held a news conference with opponents of the government’s July decision to approve a one-year pilot project allowing Lafarge Canada to burn tires for energy at the company’s Brookfield cement plant.
NDP environment critic Lenore Zann said her party’s bill is the same as a bill tabled by the Liberals while in opposition. The Liberal bill was passed with all-party support in 2008, but it was never proclaimed into law.
“It is very deeply disappointing that the Liberals supported this legislation while in opposition, but now that they are in government have allowed tire burning to go ahead,” said Zann.
The regulatory approval was announced by Environment Minister Iain Rankin, who defended the decision as a good way of reducing the use of coal at the factory, located 14 kilometres south of Truro.
Mark Butler of the Halifax-based Ecology Action Centre said the decision was largely based on a Dalhousie University engineering study that was too narrow in its focus and wasn’t peer reviewed.
Rankin deflected Butler’s criticism, saying the Dalhousie study contained several technical studies. As well, he said his department also relied on information provided by the Health Department.