About

 STOP PLASTIC FUEL

Your support won’t cost you a dime—opposing it could cost you your health and life!

The purpose of this site is to inform and enlighten regarding the dangers of using plastic as an alternative fuel. Please thoroughly read through the details contained here. But don’t stop there—simply Google “hazards of burning plastic” and you’ll see this is not a biased opinion—it is based on facts.

There is a petition being circulated to stop St. Marys Cement Company’s plans to burn plastic as alternative fuel.

This petition is not opposed to the St. Marys Cement Co..
It is opposed to burning plastic as an alternative fuel source.

As already stated, the St. Marys Cement Co. proposes to burn plastic as an alternative fuel. This can cause a multitude of health and environmental problems. The solution to mounting plastic waste in landfills is not to burn it as fuel. In a landfill, plastic leaches into the ground and neighbouring water and food sources and contaminates them. When burned, it still contaminates the ground, water and food sources, only in a much broader range because it contaminates the air and is carried to a far bigger area. These chemicals are released into the atmosphere so that we will also breathe them in—subjecting our lungs and bodies to the toxins. Once inhaled it enters the bloodstream and wreaks havoc in the body.

In recent news there have been numerous reports and recalls concerning the toxins in plastic bottles leaching into the liquids and ingested. Do you now want to breathe this into your lungs?

Since plastic is a material that we are surrounded with, we tend to assume it is a harmless product. Although it is safe enough to use, when burned, it releases its toxic concoction of ingredients causing so many hazards that we are only able to scratch the surface here. One of the many toxins released is something called dioxin. There is only one thing more toxic than dioxin: radioactive material. Dioxin attaches to the ash created in the incineration process and is carried for miles around contaminating water, land, and crops for human and livestock consumption. Once inside the body—through inhalation or digestion by way of the food chain, it is there to stay. One trillionth of a gram contains 1.8 billion molecules of dioxin. Each of those molecules has the ability of mutating the cells in the body creating genetic disorders, birth defects, cancers, and all manner of disease. Please read the article called Dioxin—A Deadly By-Product for more detailed information on this poison.

Just a few of the other chemicals released in the burning process are as follows: arsenic, lead, mercury, chlorine, cyanide, benzene, carbon monoxide, substituted toluenes, chromium, chlorinated hydrocarbons similar to pesticides, carcinogens too numerous to list, etc. To top things off, just think of the stench burning plastic will create. Ethanol plants portray that they have systems in place to contain any smelly fumes. Ask anyone in Collingwood if this actually works—people are prisoners in their own homes, confined indoors because of the intensity of the fumes.

According to information from the St. Marys Cement Co., they plan to intermittently spot check samples of the trucked-in plastic to see if it contains any radioactive waste. This will not guarantee that radioactive material will not be present as this is just a random sampling. Are you willing to rely on tests and government standards? Nothing is iron-clad. Nothing can be guaranteed 100%. There is always room for human error. Unfortunately we are the ones who suffer the consequences. One need only to think of what standards and inspections have accomplished in the food industry. Do we want a listeriosis-like outbreak from the air quality in our town and surrounding area?

We all know using coal for fuel can be hazardous. However we’ve been using it for years and know the stats regarding health and longevity—many live a full life with average heath issues. The health outcomes of using alternative fuels, such as plastic are not as well known because it hasn’t been around as long. But a simple search on the Internet will tell you that plastic is not an alternative to even be considered. There have been numerous places that have had to be evacuated, and in some cases abandoned, due to toxin contamination. In Europe, cancer is rampant among the citizens because they have been burning this for years. We won’t know the whole scope of the health hazards until it is too late for us. Do you want to take this chance? Do you want to subject yourself, your children, and your grandchildren to something that will cause disease and death? Currently the plan is to continue using the pet-coke and coal as well as the plastic. In this case, we will be subjected to both sources of contaminates—as if only one wasn’t bad enough.

There is grave concern over water fountains and water pipes in our schools and homes containing lead. Yet this is just one of many contaminates that will be released through burning plastic. Would you knowingly consume arsenic? lead? mercury? cyanide? These are known poisons that kill. If you wouldn’t eat or drink these toxins for fear of the deadly consequences, why would you even consider inhaling them?

There are so many things that we cannot control. We have all been subjected to things detrimental to our health and well-being. But we have an opportunity to put a stop to this before it even gets started. Once in place, it will be practically impossible to revert back. If we’re not willing to take a stand and oppose a hazard in our own backyard, then we cannot complain about shorter life spans, cancers, and diseases springing up in our families.

Let’s put this into perspective:
During the test period in December, the St. Marys Cement Co. plans to burn 320 tons of plastic—up to 100 tons per day. And this is just for 4 days worth of fuel!
Do you really want to wait and see the results of this test—after 320 tons have been let loose in our atmosphere?

Why should our air be their garbage can? Why should we be used as guinea pigs while they test plastic fuel? If they want to test this, why not do it at their Beachville Plant where not many people live in the surrounding area. We have rights as citizens of this community. But our rights will not be respected unless we voice them by supporting this petition against burning plastic as fuel. So join with us—sign the petition and keep St. Marys “the town worth living in.”

Petitions are being circulated door-to-door.
You can also send your name & address in a “vote-no” email to stop.plastic.fuel@gmail.com
If you would like to volunteer to canvas your neighbourhood or a small area of town, please call 519-284-3545.

Petitions are also located at the following locations in town:
Stonetown Foodland
Meadowridge Variety Store
The Source (formerly Radio Shack)
Black’s Financial Services
West End Variety
M&M Meat Shop
St. Marys Ford
Video 99
Carpe Vinum
Audiology Clinic

We can make a difference!