cbc.ca
Feb 27 2003

Environment Ministry charges OMYA for polluting

PERTH, ONT. - The company at the centre of a controversial ruling by the environment minister is now facing three charges under the Environmental Protection Act.

OMYA processes calcium carbonate, turning it into products for use by the paint, paper, plastic, pharmaceutical and building industriesThe Environment Ministry has charged OMYA Canada with polluting its quarry, alleging the company took liquid waste from its processing facility and dumped it at its quarry on Concession 4 in the former Township of Darling.

The charges include depositing waste without approval, and using equipment that is not part of an approved waste management system.

A spokesperson for OMYA says the company was dumping substances extracted from the quarry in the first place.

Earlier this month, Environment Minister Chris Stockwell overturned a ruling by the Ontario Environmental Review Tribunal, tripling the amount of water OMYA can take from the Tay River to 4.5 millions of litres of water daily.

* FROM FEB. 18, 2003: Tay River ruling ignores Walkerton

Critics say the decision ignored the Walkerton report and was made without a plan in place to monitor the river and its surrounding water resources.

OMYA will face the polluting charges in court in Perth on March 25.