MRC Pontiac Incinerator Plan Goes up in Smoke

A campaign that lasted more than a year by Pontiac County warden Jane Toller to get support for her energy-from-waste (EFW) project looks like it’s over now. All 18 mayors of Pontiac county supported a motion by Litchfield mayor Colleen Larivière to completely stop the project. The motion said that all activities related to the energy-from-waste incinerator project by the warden and MRC staff should stop right away. Also, no money from the MRC Pontiac budget or any grants should be used for anything related to the project. Instead, the waste management committee and staff of MRC should focus on making a zero-waste policy for MRC Pontiac.

During the meeting, Allumette Island Mayor Corey Spence suggested a change to focus on working towards zero waste and finding a regional waste management solution. The part about completely stopping the energy-from-waste incinerator project stayed the same in the final decision, and it was supported by all the mayors at the MRC meeting.

This decision came after Litchfield’s council decided in May to bring up a motion at the May 15 meeting of MRC Pontiac’s Council of Mayors to stop all work and spending on the project. The decision was made because many people in the Pontiac area were against the project, as shown by resolutions passed by 16 out of 18 municipal councils in the county.

Before the vote at the meeting, Jennifer Quaile, speaking for a group called Friends of the Pontiac, said that their petition against the incinerator had over 3,000 signatures, with most of them being from Pontiac County residents.

After the meeting, Warden Toller was asked in a radio interview if Pontiac would still consider hosting an incinerator or other technologies. She said it’s important to know how most people feel and that she wants to follow what the majority wants, which she sees as at least 51% support.