CORNER BROOK A pulp and paper mill in western Newfoundland has withdrawn a controversial application to burn used tires for fuel.
The provincial Environment Department issued a release Friday, saying Corner Brook Pulp and Paper Ltd., was backing out of a proposed test burn.
The mill had wanted to burn the province's stockpile of used tires as an alternative energy source, but it was awaiting government approval before moving forward with a trial.
The contentious plan was met with opposition from worried citizens who held protests and said there were too many unknown factors to allow the project to go ahead.
The mill, owned by Montreal-based Kruger Inc., had said it would abandon the idea if trials showed the process could not be done without harming the environment or human health.
Kruger issued a statement late Friday.
It blamed "the lack of consensus over the project."
The brief release went on to say the company didn't feel the atmosphere was right to conduct fair trials.
"After collecting feedback from the population and local stakeholder groups, the company came to the conclusion that the project did not garner sufficient support to conduct TDF trials under harmonious and objective conditions," stated the release.
I’m glad this has not gone ahead. Burning these tires will contaminant the city’s water supply with carcinogenic chemicals and cancer rates will soar even higher in the area. People must be aware of the repercussions of our dependency on fossil fuels and anything petroleum based as it is causing many cases of cancer. From the exhaust from your tail pipe to the chemicals leaching into the food we all eat due to plastic (made from oil), and the biggest of all THE TAR SANDS we are on a roller coaster to nowhere.