Civic Alert: Foolishly risking a mercury leak from my CFL

The Wedges’ one CFL had died some weeks earlier, and we had put it in a box to protect it from being broken. The objective was to be sure that even its minimal mercury content would not get into the atmosphere.

However, we had stored it in the kitchen, near the centre of food preparation — one of the least appropriate places!

Even worse, on the way to the collection trucks on the Library parking lot, I stopped by the Metro and another store to buy food!

Mercury and food do not go together and I later reprimanded myself.

As usual, Marina Peter, the City’s Environmental Coordinator, pleasantly welcomed me to the site and helped transfer my toxic refuse to the handlers. It was the end of a tiring day for her and Montreal’s contractor who provides the HHW service.

One of the day’s earliest visitors was Richard Aylett, an environmental activist and member of the Healthy City Project’s Environment Committee.

He would like to see Westmount have a permanent drop off for fluorescent lamps, presumably in the Public Works Yard. The City is reluctant to take this on as there is a risk of breakage and the escape of mercury.

The alternative is take CFLs and tubes to an Eco-Centre, where staff has the facilities and training to accept them. The nearest ones are on Côte-des-Neiges and Eadie Street.

But manufacturers should do more. Instead of selling CFLs in glossy blister-packs, they should be sold with reusable boxes that could also protect them after use until being accepted for safe disposal.

Some governments are prematurely planning to end the use of traditional incandescent bulbs to encourage use of CFLs. However, last week the Netherlands reversed their policy. The rush to CFLs before there is an adequate, safe collection system is pandering to a noisy pressure group. We have no right to risk the release of toxic substances.

As I wrote last week, fluorescent lamps, along with e-waste and other harmful substances, should be banned from garbage bags. I hope these are part of the 19 waste measures being “actively” considered.



Garbage complexities

Getting control of garbage is a very complex affair. The era of the garbage bag as the favoured waste receptacle is ending. So is the blue box.

Bins with wheels are replacing them. Three per household are used in advanced cities like Greater Toronto: one for recycling, one for kitchen waste and other compostables, with the third for garbage, which is only emptied on alternate weeks.

Westmount is considering the application of similar services. “Active review” were the words used to describe the level of planning going into the dossier last week as Council wrestled behind closed doors with the complexities.

“Everyone is committed,” said Mayor Karin Marks. “I expect a decision soon to start kitchen composting collection, although not immediately. The technical aspects are being looked into.

“The hills and structures of our houses are special problems. It’s no good having bins if they roll down to St Henri!”

19 initiatives

The Quebec government gave the Communauté Métropolitain de Montréal (CMM) the responsibility to oversee the regional waste reduction plans.

Last year, they settled on 19 initiatives - not 15 which I erroneoously mentioned last week - which are necessary to reach the 65 per cent diversion goals.

Westmount has already begun many of them, including blue box recycling, as well as being among the pioneers for collection of Household Hazardous Waste, recycling of used batteries, and garden waste.

At the time of his retirement last year, former City Engineer and Public Works Director Fred Caluori told a Healthy City breakfast meeting that the next stage would involve kitchen waste collection and composting.

He also warned that eventually costs would escalate so much that there would be a fee for garbage. Toronto will begin charging next fall.

Ready for composting

"I sense Westmounters are ready for compost collection," said Cllr. George Bowser, Public Works Commissioner.

"We know that it is the main element in reaching the target. There are many components in the mix, however, but the biggest difficulty comes from our topography.

"It makes it hard to find a simple system to suit all the needs."

The unfortunate solution probably will be plastic bags. These are being used for leaves and green waste, although paper bags are probably kinder environmentally.

Ville-Marie borough switched from recycling boxes to plastic bags earlier this year and claims an increase in recycling collections. It was accompanied by an enormous publicity campaign directed at better waste handling.

Dr Michel Seguin, founder-member of the environment group Action Rebuts and an expert on physical and social issues of solid waste, discussed with me the options available.

Essential service

He is also an idealist who takes the example of transit services being adapted for the handicapped.

“We should find a similar way for helping those with certain waste handling problems, he said. “Some occupants of duplexes and houses with many steps have difficulty carrying heavy loads, but we should provide for such people. Transport-Adapté has set a lead,” he said.

“Avoiding garbage has become an essential service, too.”

He will do all he can to avoid the use of plastic. "So-called degradable is not a solution,” he maintains. Even 'biodegradable' items are made from corn.

"Growing such crops often leads to pollution. Besides, should a food be used for another purpose and then thrown away after one limited use?"

Seguin is right that we far too easily embrace the use of throwaway plastics, particularly the films used in bags.

"There should be heavy charges which reflect the lifetime cost," Seguin suggests. "Simultaneously, we should be rewarding reusable substitutes."

Chagnon promotes American union



Westmount’s MNA Jacques Chagnon is heading up an imaginative bid this weekend that may lead to the creation of a Union of the American Continent. It would be similar to the European Union and eventually could compete with it.

Chagnon by The National Assembly has assigned the hosting responsibility to Chagnon, its Deputy Speaker. He is a Canadian representative to COPA — the Parliamentary Confederation of the Americas.

They will meet in the Red Room of the National Assembly.

First step will be the amalgamation of COPA with another parliamentary group to form a united organization nearly 40 countries strong. Some of them are small but others, like the US, Canada and Brazil, are very large.

Chagnon feels that creating a continental agreement would be akin to the launch of a United Europe six decades ago.

“Only four countries were involved at first, but now in some way it is as economically strong as the U.S,” he said. “They learned how to cooperate with each other and we must do the same.”

Although the Assembly is in session and he is called on daily to share in the role as Speaker, Chagnon spent Monday on constituency business.

In the evening he joined Westmount Council for dinner.

“Never forget, politics is always local,” he said, recalling the adage had been initially taught to him in the 1970s at Dawson College by Bob Keaton, his first political science teacher.

He does not expect an election this year and probably not next year either, “although I would not bet too much on the latter. But it’s not in the interest of any of the parties at present.

“But you never know for sure. Politics is always in a state of flux — something else Bob Keaton taught me.”



Community activist Don Wedge can be reached at calert@web.net. His columns are archived at www.westmountexaminer.com, go to Opinion.