Wasted time

Once again there are people filling the seats of the Western Regional Waste Management Committee.

Eight new members were appointed in recent days, restocking the committee after last fall's municipal elections wiped out many of its former members.

The eight new people - whose names have yet to be made public by the provincial government - will join the five remaining members, including Chair Gilbert Smart.

We will have to wait for the news release from government, expected some time this week or next, to find out who has been appointed and where they hail from.

Perhaps that release will also give some indication of why it has taken the provincial government more than seven months to appoint these eight people.

It's well understood that governments in general don't often move with the speed of lightning; there are multiple issues to consider and arguments to weigh. But this particular government has hounded communities and municipalities to jump on the waste management reform bandwagon, close their incinerators and start shipping their garbage up the highway.

Perhaps the province should have listened to its own sense of urgency. Or realized that communities can't give up what they're doing now until a plan for what is to come is firmly in place, no matter what deadlines are imposed.

But now the western committee is back in place. It will be interesting to see if the communities within the region are pleased with the distribution of the appointments.

During the last go-round, Port aux Basques felt snubbed when it didn't get a seat, especially as it was taking the lead on the southwest coast's interim plans.

Mr. Smart is quoted as saying he believes the recommended solution for the region will be to ship our waste to the central site - a solution that will save the provincial government millions by not having to build a regional facility on the west coast.

But he admits the question of if the province will help foot the bill for the additional transportation costs is one that will have to be worked out.

It looks like the newly appointed committee will still have a lot of work to do.

Natalie Musseau

editor@gulfnews.ca