Petition bill submitted against Lafarge Brooksfield's tyre burning project

Nova Scotia's opposition New Democrats have presented a petition and a bill in the legislature calling on the Liberal government to ban tyre 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 tyres at the 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 tyre 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.

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.

"This (incineration) is a widely used practice across Canada, the United States and throughout Europe," he said.

Rankin said independent monitoring would be in place at the plant's kiln.

Spokeswoman for Lafarge, Karine Cousineau, said: "We are confident that our upcoming demonstration project will conclusively show that not only are scrap tyres a safe fuel, but will form a key part in reducing carbon emissions in the province," she stated