Doe sn 't like Gatineau news... Director stails De.com proposai By MIKE JOHNSTON Free Press Staff A final decision on the DECOM application to build a bio-medical waste transfer station in Wbitby won't be miade until at least November said tbe Director of Ap- provals for the Ministry of the Environment last .week. The delay is due to reports tbat the com- pany's incinerators located in Gatineau, Quebec failed tests con- ducted by tbe Quebec -Ministry of Environ- ment last November. William Balfour told the Free Press bis decision is being witbheld until the Quebec government conducts new tests on the incinerators ten- tatively scbeduled for next rnonth. The announcemnent cornes after Balfour met with representatives of the town last Thursday to discuss the DECOM application. Mayor Bob Attersley said Balfour was asked to delay dealing with the matter until the in- cinerators have been re- tested by the Quebec government. Balfour agreed with the request saying it is a concern wbicb bas to be considered. "One of tbe issues is the ultimate disposai of the waste and at'tbis time our counterparts in Quebec <MOE) are flot satisfied witb Gatineau," said Balfour frornibis Toronto office last Tbursday. Joanne Geoffrione, of tbe MOE in Quebec, told tbe Free Press last montb tbat following lIast Novembers test, the Quebec governmçnt shut down one of the in- c inerators. Sbe said gases sucb as HCL (Hydro Cloric Acid) were discovered coming from tbem. Balfour, who was ap- pointed to the position of Director of Approvals a week ago, said be is in direct contact witb representatives of tbe MOE in Quebec and wben be hears frorn tbem "'tben I can coni- plete processing the cer- tificate of approval." (Balfour pointed out bis choice of words did flot necessarily mean the station was going to be approved.) He would not speculate on wbat would bappen if the in- cinerators fail the tests. Also at tbe meeting, Mayor Attersley said Balfour was presented witb a subrnission from tbe town wbicb con- tained an "overview" of tbe Environmental Assessment Board's bearing wbicb was beld in tbe town last spring. The bearing came about after Witby council turned down an application by DECOM to construct a transfer station on Sunray St. The station would bé used to transfer bio- medical waste from vans to large trucks which.would carry the waste to Gatineau, Quebec for disposai. Tbe station could bandle up to 50 tons of waste per day. The Environmental Assessment Board recently gave its ap- proval to the station. Tbe Director of Ap- provals must now mile on the board's decision. Attersley said Balfour was also presented witb a recent task force report on tbe disposal of waste wicb, arnong its recommendations, sta- ted waste sbould be disposed of as close to its course as possible. "I was quite pleased with the meeting," said the Mayor. Balfour called it "a very frank and open discussion." Consultants' study recommends changesfor lhitby public transit systemn... SEEPAGE3 Widows and widowers learn to cope through THEOS SEE PAGE 10 Emm moves in on group homes Wednesday, October 8, 1986, 28 Pages. How much ice creamn could you eat in three minutes? Well students from Henry Street High School and Anderson Collegiate and Vocational In- stitute tried to eat two pounds of ice cream. last Saturday at Swenson's Ice Cream Parlor. The students were involved in a competition between the two high schools. Each team, comprised of a maie and a female attempted to eat an 'ear- thquake' - two pounds of ice creamn covered ini whipped cream, assorted toppings and Oreo cookies - in Iess than three minutes. Jenifer Ashby (grade 11) and Dean Link (grade 12) of Henry St. didn't quite finish ail of their earthquake but they did est enough ice cream to win their round. The finals of the earthquake eating contest goes next week at Swensons. Free Press Staff Photo By MIKE JOHNSTON Free Press Staff More and more homes in tbe downtown area are being bougbt then converted to boarding bouses according to councillor Gerry Emrn wýho wants tbe conver- sions to stop. So to curtail what tbe councillor calîs 'a 14probleni" be wili in- troduce an interim by- law at the next meeting of council. Tbe by-law will freeze, any future conversion of bornes in tbe downtown area to roorning bouses. "Residents should not be policeman as to what moves into tbe area, that sbould be tbe role of the municipJality," said councillor Emm. He estimated tbere are already 10 or 12 bouses in the downtown area wbicb bouse anywbere from 20 to 40 people eacb. As an example, he points out a bouse on Byron St. wbicb is borne to a number of strippers and homes in tbe area wbich bouse a number of out-patients frorn the Wbitby Psychiatrie Hospital. Councillor Emm believes this is ruining tbe look of tbe downtowr area. "The character oi the county town is nicç bornes. There bas beer a lot of money spent t( uphold that character,' said councillor Ernrn He said the interirr by-law is being put fortl for council's approva. as a result of a number of complaints be bas had about boarding bouses. "People bave worked bard to maintain the beauty of downtown and See pg. 10 United Way hits 640,000 Tbe Newcastle- Osbawa-Wbitby United Way 1986 campaign is now close to one tbird of the way toward its $2,150,000 objective and witb five more weeks to get there organizers are becoming increasingly optimistic that the cani- paign will be a success. "I'm very optirnistic. It's always a slow start and wben tbe mornen- turn picks up we should be doing just great by the tume we get into November," said NOW United Way, publie relations chairman Sandy Cunningham. By the end of last week canvassers bad succeeded in raising $640,000 in the three communities and the carnpaign will continue until November 15. Ac- cording to Cunningbamn, none of tbe canvassers in tbe different sectors of the campaign bave finisbed collecting and most report that it will be tbe end of October before tbey do. Ail of whicb indicates to the public relations chair- man that the cam- paign's prospects are bright. Cunningbam said next week wben more results bave begun to corne into campaign beadquar- ters, statistics wiil be released on tbe amounts of money raised in eacb of the three com- munities but until tben Wbitby's contribution to tbe campaign will rernain a mystery. Last year United Way volunteers bad a target of $1,915,000 and suc- ceeded in raising more than $2 million. Cunningbam said it will, probably be December before tbe final tally bas been made for campaign '86. w Vol. 16, No. 40 Ea rthquake indeed - - 1 m