Burning used tires counter to province’s recycling efforts, opponent says

Granting approval for the Lafarge cement plant to burn used tires in its kiln would open the door of destruction to the province’s well-established recycling, industry, a Shortt’s Lake resident says.

“To grant industrial approval for a one-year pilot for Brookfield Lafarge to burn tires as fuel as a pilot project would be a big mistake on the part of the Government of Nova Scotia,” said Lydia Sorflaten, a member of the group Citizens Against Burning of Tires (CABOT).

Sorflaten, who lives about 500 metres from the cement plant near Brookfield, made her comments in response to news from the Department of Environment that Lafarge has applied for an industrial approval for the one-year pilot project to use tires as a low-carbon fuel in its plant.

The company is proposing burning used tires in one of its kilns to reduce its reliance on higher-carbon fuels such as coal and petroleum coke.

The project received environmental assessment approval from the department in July but also requires an industrial ap- proval before it can proceed.

“This is the third time this multinational company has made application to the Government of Nova Scotia to burn tires,” Sorflaten said.

“Ten years ago, when Lafarge tried for the second time, the recycling industry was just beginning to emerge.”

But now that Halifax C&D Recycling Ltd., of Halifax is shredding the province’s annual supply of one million tires into a tirederived aggregate, that recycling industry is fully established, she said.

“We implore the Minster of Environment to reject the proposal, demonstrating that Nova Scotians value recycling, while protecting our environment,” Sorflaten said.’

Her position was supported by Lenore Zann, MLA for TruroBible Hill- Millbrook- Salmon River, who as NDP spokesperson for the Environment has also been openly critical of the Lafarge proposal.

“This process has gone far enough, the government needs to step in and tell Lafarge that Nova Scotia does not want tire burning,” Zann said.

“The Liberals’ decision to allow tire burning takes us away from our goals when it comes to the environment and climate change.”