Bay of Quinte Bakelite environmental damage update

[maybe]

Still no money from Sinclair

Posted By JEREMY ASHLEY, THE INTELLIGENCER

Posted 8 hours ago

 

 

Developer Jim Sinclair still gets a kick out of thumbing his nose at those who enforce environmental protection laws.

 

In a lighthearted moment in Belleville court Wednesday, the owner of the Bakelite property was asked by a judge if he brought in the $235,000 he was ordered to pay for trashing environmental laws in tearing apart the Dundas Street East property.

 

Jingling the change in his pocket, Sinclair smiled.

 

"I'm sorry, your honour," he said, pulling out a small handful of coins, "I'm a little short."

 

The 68-year-old's appearance before Justice Geoff Griffin -- to clarify conditions of his sentence for a slew of environmental convictions earlier this year -- came a little more than a week before his $235,000 fine for those offences is due to be paid to conservation officials.

 

The money is to be placed into a trust account to pay the rehabilitation costs to undo what Sinclair has done on the property.

 

As part of that effort, Sinclair must have a berm he constructed removed by mid-September and the remaining bulk of the work -- essentially the restoration of wetlands and shorelines -- completed by Dec. 1. To date, not a penny has made it into the coffers of Quinte Conservation, nor has any of the work been completed.

 

Sinclair has yet to either appeal the decision formally or apply for a stay to delay the date when the money is due.

 

During Wednesday's appearance, Crown prosecutors sought to have the initial order against Sinclair clarified to ensure environmental agencies have full control of both the money and any rehabilitation to be completed.

 

"You hold the purse strings," Griffin explained to the lawyers, adding environmental officials can reject anyone hired by Sinclair to work on the property.

 

"And if he doesn't do any of this (work to fix the site), you can say fine, we're going in and here is what we're doing," Griffin added.

 

It's important both sides work together to remediate the property, the judge noted.

 

"His sense of remediation and your sense of remediation are going to be radically different," Griffin said.

 

The usually boisterous Sinclair was noticeably quiet during the proceeding, which took about 30 minutes. When asked if he had anything to say, Sinclair replied "I have nothing to say on this matter, your honour.

 

"This is so bad, it's evil -- pure evil," he added, glaring at the team of environmental prosecutors.

 

The judge is expected to issue a revised version of the order later this week to accommodate the concerns of Crown lawyers.

 

The deadline for Sinclair to have the funding in place is Aug. 3, only a few weeks from his sentencing on other environmental charges relating to the Bakelite property.

 

Earlier this year Sinclair, his companies Bakelite Thermostats Inc. and Demolition and Recycling, were found guilty of 14 environmental charges. The Crown attorney is seeking a 10-month jail sentence.

[bucktail]

That plant was a environmental hotspot when I grew up there 25 years ago. I am pretty sure it was one of the hotspots named in the first Great Lakes Remedial action plans.

god whats it take to get things done!!

Edited July 24, 2008 by bucktail

[Greencoachdog]

Why should he pay up early? He'll hold the money until the deadline and earn the interest on it.

 

I'm sure in the end he'll pay... or go to jail!

[MoriaRiverMan]

He's 68.....

 

Im sure he's not to worried about it.

 

The place is being cleaned up aswell.......

 

My brother inlaw is there cleaning up....... so the info of it not being cleaned up is false!

[ehg]

He's 68.....

 

Im sure he's not to worried about it.

 

The place is being cleaned up aswell.......

 

My brother inlaw is there cleaning up....... so the info of it not being cleaned up is false!

Some how this Bakelite situation is overtaking a more serious health(and fishing related) occurence in Port Hope.

In Port Hope, Cameco has leaked radioactive materials from uranium tailings as well as arsenic, into the ground

and harbour for last 60 yrs. This stuff has been found on public beaches and in peoples yards. Many folks there are getting sick. Cameco is loaded with cash and doing little.

Luckily i've never fished the Ganny or ate a fish from L. Ontario and never will.

Thats uranium tailings under that tarp by homes and playground.

[maybe]

My brother inlaw is there cleaning up....... so the info of it not being cleaned up is false!

 

Now that's interesting! Who's paying for his services - Sinclair or Quinte Conservation?