RE: LookingI had a chance to read the paper copy of the Toronto Star article with pictures this morning. As an investor in Bennett, it is difficult to be unbiased when trying to decipher the details around the Belldune facility. In trying to draw some balanced, realistic viewpoints, I will try to be as neutral as I can. In some ways the article was well done but in many others it falls short.
It did an interesting job of portraying the views & attitudes of some of the local residents & why they are concerned. It showed how they have been misled in the past & paid dearly for it. I have a better understanding of why some of the residents may be concerned about what the truth is around the Bennett facility being built. If the details about comments made by Bennett officials are true then it is clear that Bennett management needs to get their act together in terms of how they communicate to the press or anyone else for that matter. In terms of what happened in the past in Quebec, it appears to be overblown. Crap happens! Everywhere! It is happening all around us all the time….in most cases we are just not aware of it.
The article falls short in that it is heavily skewed to showing the concerns of the locals & casting doubt on how safe the process will be. The article does very little to show any of the positives that will be achieved. Little mention of the substantial economic benefits to the area of both building & operating the facility. Little mention of how Bennett is trying to clean the North American environment. Not once did it mention that Bennett facilities are also used to clean up Canada. It did not talk about how effective the technology is in removing the contaminants or that some of the resultant soils will be ready to be used for agricultural purposes. It failed to mention how Bennett has proposed to contribute a portion of their revenue to charitable causes for the community. Nor did it mention the high unemployment rates for the area & how welcome the good jobs could be by many of the residents. It interviewed very few people that support the project when there are many. It hardly gave the Mayor a change to speak when I am sure he has lots to say in defense of the project. I could go on & on but you get the point.
Unfortunately a bi-product of the way we live our lives is pollution & lots of it. I am a great fan of the great outdoors…this is one of the reasons I love being a Canadian & why I spend most of my vacation time staying in Canada enjoying outdoor activities such as skiing, cottaging, fishing, hiking, etc. We cannot avoid pollution; we can only deal with it as best we can…responsibly. There is no evidence presented in the article or anywhere else to support that the Bennett technology is not as effective & safe as the claims. Could there be lapses in the process at some point due to system failures or human error? Absolutely….you can bet on it…but so what. It will be minor & short lived & it will be corrected. I live near Brampton….the Brampton Brick facility nearby is a huge polluter…in the middle of huge residential communities & schools. The Sunworthy Wallcovering plant ran for years as one of the largest polluters in Southern Ontario. I have never seen anyone picketing outside of those places. Why? Simple….we need the jobs & the product. Isn’t it all about perception & awareness? It seems to me that many of the residents of the Belldune region are confused due to being misinformed & told many views that differ greatly. I don’t think the Toronto Star article is helping their cause as it only cast more doubt without showing a balanced view. Why doesn’t the Star write an article about how Bennett is trying to clean up the planet & how that will benefit all of us? Probably because that wouldn’t be controversial enough for them. Cheers!!!