THE HISTORY OF WASTE MANAGEMENT INCORPORATED

THE CANADIAN CONNECTION

MCGUINTY SAYS WMI HAS NO RECORD OF WRONG DOING IN CANADA.

I BEG TO DIFFER

BREAKING NEWS: JANUARY 30, 2001:

Canadian Waste Services Inc. fined $200,000 for violation of the Occupational Health and Safety Act that resulted in the death of an employee.
On Feb, 5, 1999, an employee was cleaning loose waste in and near a bunker when the bunker's 695 kg (1,533 pound) overhead gate fell and crushed him. A Ministry of Labour investigation found that the gate, when in a raised position, was not properly secured to prevent it from falling or moving.
Canadian Waste Services Inc (a 100 percent wholly owned subsidiary of WMI) pleaded guilty.

Toronto, Canada

WMI attempted to create the largest landfall in North America in Toronto through a series of shady dealings, including what the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission claimed were ''dubious outlays'' (payments) to a Canadian political party to smith its permitting process.

1972
Through royalty arrangements, WMI of Canada acquires Maple Pits landfill, an abandoned excavation site with the potential for becoming the largest land-landfill in North America.

1978
The Environmental Assessment Board rejects cl's application to operate the Maple Pits landfall. The decision is overturned on appeal, despite the Ministry of the Environment's doubts about site safety.

1981
After the Canadian Union of Public Employees raises concerns about a private garbage disposal monopoly, the Metropolitan Toronto councilor vote to purchase the still-empty pats from Mrs subsidiary.

1983
Purchase payments by Toronto to WMI are delayed when contamination is discovered below the site and further testing reveals that it might be impossible to seal the quarries.

1990
The pits ultimately become a publicly controlled dump that has saved Metropolitan Toronto taxpayers hundreds of million of dollars in tipping fees. àgrettably, however, public bow control policy has yet to become a sign-cant incentive for waste reduction.

Stouffville, Ontario
1963-1969
An estimated 60 million gallons of unknown liquid industrial wastes are poured into the Stouffville Dump lagoons.

1972
York Sanitation, a WMI subsidiary, buys the landfill, which has been licensed to bury millions of tons of solid municipal waste.

1975
The Whitechurch-Stouffville town council passes a bylaw prohibiting dumping at the Stouffville site. WMI hurdles that obstacle through the provincial government's hearing process, which overrides the local prohibition. WMI continues to bs one-third of meto Toronto's domestic commercial and industrial solid waste in Stoufville until at least 1982.

1982
WMI subsidiary York Sanitation applies to the Ministry of Environment for thé right to expand the dump site by 54 acres. A local chemical engineer says, the site leaks like a sieve.

1982
York Sanitation is found guilty on 53 charges resulting from breaches of environmental laws and falsifying documents to underestimate the amount of garbage it was accepting. York is penalized $40,000.

April 30, 1982 Environment Minister Keith Norton, under pressure from local activists, announces that the dump will be closed within 14 months and that a WMI expansion request was denied. The company is also ordered to provide an alternate water supply to 12 homes near the dump.

http://www.stopwmx.org/cr3.html#WMI%20Ldfls 


                                                    DATE:19991215
                                        DOCKET: C31728 and C32103
                                                                 
                   COURT OF APPEAL FOR ONTARIO
                                
                CARTHY, GOUDGE AND FELDMAN JJ.A.
                                
B E T W E E N :                    )
                                   )    Michael McGowan and
JOHN HOLLICK                       )    Kirk M. Baert
                    Plaintiff      )    for the appellant
                    (Applicant)    )
                                   )
and                                )    Graham Rempe and
                                   )    Kalli Y. Chapman
THE CITY OF TORONTO                )    for the respondent
                                   )
                    Defendant      )    Mark M. Orkin, Q.C.
                    (Respondent)   )    For the Law Foundation
                                   )    of Ontario
                                   )
                                   )    Heard: October 14, 1999
On appeal from the order of the Divisional Court (O’Leary, Flinn
and Sedgwick JJ.) dated December 17, 1998.
CARTHY J.A.:

This appeal concerns the proposed certification of a class action on behalf of 30,000 persons seeking damages and an injunction largely related to noxious odours said to be emanating from a waste disposal site in Maple, Ontario. [2] Section 5(1) of the Class Proceeding Act, 1992, S.O. 1992, c.

The defendant operates an approved landfill site known as the Keele Valley Landfill Site (here and after referred to as Keele Valley). The defendant has a responsibility for the disposal of waste generated within its boundaries as well as municipal waste from the Regional Municipality of York, and its area municipalities, and the Regional Municipality of Durham. It is also required to accept waste from other areas on an emergency basis.

The plaintiff claims that since at least February 3, 1991, by reason of the operation of the Keele Valley, the defendant has wrongfully caused, or failed to permit, or permitted, the landfill to emit:

(a) large quantities of methane, hydrogen sulphide, vinyl chloride and other toxic gases, obnoxious odours, fumes, smoke and airborne, bird-borne or air-blown sediment, particulates, dirt and litter (collectively referred to as Physical Pollution); and

(b) loud noises and strong vibrations (collectively referred to as Noise Pollution);

onto the lands and premises in the geographical boundaries claimed. The plaintiffs claim that they have sustained physical and emotional damages as a causal consequence.

http://www.ontariocourts.on.ca/decisions/1999/December/hollick.htm