Province wavers on tire burning in Ontario

Ontario Tire Stewardship is still promoting tire burning, even after four years of public comment and legal argument illustrating how the practice threatens the environment. It also fails to meet provincial law and policy.

Ontario Tire Stewardship's Used Tire Program Plan is currently under review by the Ministry of the Environment. The Plan leaves the door open for tire burning on a case-by-case basis or if the tires are shipped outside of Ontario.

“The plan doesn’t formally promote tire burning in Ontario, which makes it better than the last one,” says Mark Mattson, Waterkeeper. “As long as the Ministry of the Environment closes these last loopholes, the Used Tire Program Plan could improve and protect the quality of Ontario’s air and water.”

For greater certainty, Lake Ontario Waterkeeper is also recommending that the Ministry of the Environment implement its much-publicized ban on tire burning in Ontario. The Ministry announced the ban back in 2006 - the same day it approved tire-burning at the Lafarge plant - but it was never approved or implemented.

Listen to Living at the Barricades.

This week on Living at the Barricades: Canaries: what mining issues say about environmental protection in Canada (Mar 24, 2009)

The mining industry, and the laws and regulations that govern it, has historically been a bellwether for the state of environmental protections in Canada.  This week, Krystyn and Mark speak with Joan Barton of Environmental Haliburton, and Joan Kuyek, formerly of Mining Watch Canada about the state of environmental protection in Canada.

Music on this week's show:

Canaries in the Mine - Raging Grannies

I Me Mine - The Beatles

Blue Sky Mine - Midnight Oil

Dark as a Dungeon - Harry Belafonte

Canary in a Coal mine - The Police

Sixteen Tons - Tennessee Ernie Ford