by Judi McLeod, Canadafreepress.com
December 1, 2004
When they’re out of public view dealing with controversial items in camera, the high hand displayed by some Toronto City councillors is disturbing.
Humiliated by revelations from the expensive ongoing public inquiry probing the MFP computer scandal and its recent testimony about an "intimate" relationship between former Toronto City Treasurer Wanda Liczyk, and a lover, who shared with a colleague some $3.8 million in untendered contracts, city council is going a long way to keep its $95-million biosolids scandal under wraps.
"Biosolids" is the more palatable name given by bureaucrats to human excrement, which is used to fertilize farmers’ fields.
Thus far, Toronto Council has successfully kept the biosolids boondoggle off the taxpayers’ radar screen, while it deals in camera with Harbour Remediation & Transfer (HR&T), the original blue-ribbon company contracted by pilot project to handle Metro Toronto biosolids. Charging that the municipality reneged and broke signed contracts, HR&T has been pursuing the city through litigation.
Many of the original pre-amalgamation Metro councillors responsible for the biosolids scandal, represent Toronto council to the present day.
Indeed, had it not been for the persistence of respected civil engineer and former City Councillor Tony O’Donohue, the City of Toronto’s biosolids scandal would still be under the carpet.
It was only after five attempts and what O’Donohue calls a "painful difficult road", that city council, at its July 20, 2004 meeting finally directed the Works Commissioner to provide him the factual information about the biosolids, a scandal, he says exceeds the one called MFP.
The $95-million biosolids scandal is at the root of the story of the transportation of garbage from Toronto to Michigan. Or as O’Donoue so graphically puts it, "the red ribbon of shame" that "snakes its way daily from Toronto to the U.S. border".
It is a story that begins with but never ended for the portlands-located HR&T, a story likely to compel apathetic taxpayers to vote in all future municipal elections.
The gist of the story, chronicled by O’Donohue in a compelling new book entitled The Tale of a City: Re-Engineering the Urban Environment gives a step-by-step account of how city politicians hoodwinked, not only HR&T, but city taxpayers.
When former Coun. Jack Layton, now federal New Democratic Party (NDP) leader shut down HR&T, using odour control as the catalyst, the municipality had nowhere to put its biosolids. Incineration accepted worldwide, as a treatment for biosolids was a no-no for Toronto’s NDP-controlled council.
It’s not kitchen garbage in dry tonne, but hazard-challenged biosolids snaking its way daily from T.O over the border.
"Almost all the sludge produced at Toronto’s Ashbridges Bay Treatment Plant is being hauled to Republic Landfill in Michigan," says O’Donohue.
Two city contracts--one to Terratec Environmental Inc. for haul and spread and the other to U.S. Filter for pelletizing were "mere window-dressing to hide the shipment of sludge to Michigan".
When a $23-million pelletizing plant at the Ashbridges Bay Main Treatment Plant burned down to the ground on August 23, 2004, it not only "conveniently solved" a problem--but ended "opening up to the road to Michigan!"
Add to this toxic intrigue, that after the city allegedly broke the HR&T contract, their bureaucrats began trying to pass off biosolids on Ontario farmers as fertilizer. Even though it came cheaper than conventional animal fertilizer, farmers balked, refusing to accept human excrement by any name, including the one identifying it as biosolids.
Politician-promised to be clean of medical waste, pop cans and tires, Toronto’s biosolid garbage haulage to Michigan is tied to a four-year contract.
Meanwhile, councillors continue to deal with HR&T in camera, including an in camera session set for 5 p.m., today.
Red herrings have been tossed in with the political rhetoric at in-camera sessions to date. At one, rookie Councillor Michael Del Grande, is alleged to have suggested having the city call in local police--incredibly to investigate HR&T.
This morning, Canada Free Press editor Judi McLeod telephoned Del Grande’s executive assistant Melzack, asking to speak to the councillor. Being told by Melzack that Del Grande would be "too busy" to respond ant time today, McLeod told Melzack that CFP wanted to know why Del Grande had allegedly requested the police investigation.
"He says he doesn’t recall saying that," Melzack told McLeod in a subsequent telephone call. "He is not prepared to discuss anything dealt with in camera."
"We want to talk to the councillor about conflicts of interest from a number of private mortgages he holds throughout the city and that does not involve in camera restrictions," McLeod told Melzack.
CFP is still waiting for the return call about alleged conflicts of interest and private mortgages held by Coun. Del Grande.
In another in camera session, Councillor Sylvia Watson, who originates from Toronto, where she worked for 11 years as a solicitor for the city, allegedly referred to the principals of HR&T as " Mafia". HR&T CEO Carmen Costa is Italian.
A message was left this morning with Watson’s city hall office in regards to CFP wanting to speak directly to her about alleged racial remarks made during an in camera session of Toronto City Council.
At the time of writing, Watson’s office had not returned the CFP telephone call.
CFP knows it is not supposed to report on council items discussed in camera. But CFP also know that councillors should not allege wrong doing where police investigations are suggested, or allegedly resort to racial slurs during in camera sessions of council.
It is time for Toronto City Council to come clean with its taxpayers on the $95-million biosolids scandal.
All councillors should be held accountable for remarks made during in camera sessions.
CFP will continue to follow the biosolids scandal story.
Canada Free Press founding editor Most recent by Judi McLeod is an award-winning journalist with 30 years experience in the print media. Her work has appeared on Newsmax.com, Drudge Report, Foxnews.com, Glenn Beck. Judi can be reached at: judi@canadafreepress.com
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