A group of citizens filed a notice of judicial review with the province’s Supreme Court on Wednesday, in opposition to a decision permitting the burning of tires at a Lafarge cement plant in Brookfield, N.S.
The concerned citizens say they oppose the environmental harm that will be caused by the tire burning.
Iain Rankin, the Nova Scotia Environment Minister, announced his decision to permit the burning of tires for a year in June, though no date has been set for when the plant will begin to burn tires.
“This is a practice that’s used in many jurisdictions so the intent behind this pilot project is to ensure that it works as it does all over the world. All over in 80 different locations, the United States and multiple provinces,” Rankin told Global News shortly after the decision was announced.
The approval allows tires to be a maximum of 15 per cent of the plant’s total fuel, or about 20 tonnes of tires, each day.
Critics of the decision have pointed to tire recycling as a more environmentally friendly method of disposing of tires.
WATCH: Lafarge defends pilot program to burn tires in Nova Scotia
According to Lydia Sorflaten, a spokesperson for the environmental group, they oppose the decision on the grounds that:
- The Ministerial Approval dated July 6, 2017 made under Part IV of the Environmental Act is unreasonable, unjust, nontransparent and unfair;
- The Minister’s decision runs contrary to the goals of the Environment Act;
- The burning of tires presents a real threat of serious and irreversible damage to human health and that there is a lack of scientific certainty as pointed out in the Dal 2007 study;
- The recycling of tires in Nova Scotia is the proven and responsible way to deal with disposed tires.
According to the notice, the group has requested an order from the Supreme Court to set “aside the decision of the Minister of Environment.”
The government has five days to respond to the notice.
Global News has requested comment from the Department of Environment though one was not immediately provided.
“Lafarge has no comment as this matter is now before the courts,” wrote Jennifer Lewis, a company spokesperson, in an email.
— With files from the Canadian Press, Natasha Pace