Environmental groups are trying to reverse the Ontario government's decision to allow tires to be burned as a fuel alternative to coal at an eastern Ontario cement plant.

The government announced Dec. 21 that it would approve a two-year pilot project run by Lafarge Canada to burn waste materials such as tires at its Bath, Ont., plant about 30 kilometres west of Kingston, Ont.

During the two-year pilot project, Lafarge's Bath, Ont., plant will be allowed to burn tires and other waste materials to replace up to 30 per cent of the coal it now burns as fuel.
(Lafarge Canada)

The groups planning to appeal the decision include the Sierra Legal Defence Fund, the Canadian Environmental Law Association, Lake Ontario Waterkeeper and two local residents' groups.

Mark Mattson, president of Lake Ontario Waterkeeper, said there are many unanswered questions about the practice.

"We've been moving away from incineration and burning fossil fuels. They haven't proved it won't have negative ramifications yet," said Mattson, whose group monitors pollution levels in the lake.

Kelly Hineman lives near the plant and has joined a group of local residents appealing the tire burning permit and a permit to store hazardous waste at the plant.

"It's the only means we have at our disposal right now to try to influence the provincial government on reversing two certificates of approval," Hineman said.

Lafarge spokesman Rob Cumming said Wednesday that alternative fuels such as tires are safer for the environment than the coal it has burned at its plant for 34 years. The pilot project would allow materials such as tires to make up only as much as 30 per cent of the plant's fuel, so coal will continue to be used.

Cumming added that the company has been encouraging the groups to become directly involved in monitoring the pilot project.

"Today we sent a formal invitation to become part of our citizens liaison committee," he said. "They'll do a great job of holding us to account to comply with conditions of our approval."

Ban on other tire burning suggested

The deadline for appealing the decision is Jan. 5.

Leona Dombrowsky, MPP for Hastings-Frontenac-Lennox and Addington, requested a two-week extension of the deadline after local residents complained they did not have enough time to prepare an appeal.

But the secretary for Ontario's Environmental Review Tribunal said Wednesday that an extension is unlikely.

According to the Ontario Ministry of the Environment, fuels such as tires "have been used for many years in safe, proven processes" to make cement in Quebec, California, Sweden and Germany.

Environment Minister Lauren Broten proposes banning the burning of tires elsewhere in the province during the Lafarge pilot project to make it easier to monitor the project's effects.

With files from the Canadian Press