Print

E-mail

Text

Re: 'Protecting Rouge lands must be done fairly,' Editorial, June 18.

Scarborough residents take pride in Rouge Park and historically so has The Scarborough Mirror.

I agree with The Mirror's editorial regarding the need to treat Standard Auto fairly.

However, most fair-minded Scarborough residents know that an auto wrecking business does not belong right next to a stream in the nationally significant Rouge Park.

Even the best run auto wreckers generate runoff polluted with oil, grease, iron, lead, rubber, plastic and heavy metals from decomposing cars.

The stream-side location of Standard Auto Wreckers increases the risk of pollution of the Rouge River and Lake Ontario, our drinking water source.

I pass Standard Auto Wreckers regularly. Despite the best efforts of the company, the road beside the site is often an ugly mess of litter and cars and muddy and oil-stained haphazard roadside parking. The metal fence fails to hide the crushed and rusting cars stacked above it.

In terms of safety, many long freight trains travel the adjacent train track and the cluttered roadside parking for Standard Auto Wreckers could contribute to a serious car-train accident. I have personally witnessed close calls between cars and between cars and trains in front of Standard Auto Wreckers.

In terms of pollution, some people dump paint buckets, tires and garbage into Sewell's Road ditches and Rouge streams beside Standard Auto Wreckers.

Automobiles are sometimes abandoned and set on fire on Sewell's Road.

Although Standard Auto is not responsible for the ignorant behaviour of people nearby, the auto wrecking business attracts people to the isolated area, increasing the frequency of illegal dumping and pollution by irresponsible people.

The city and province should work with Standard Auto Wreckers to find a new site outside of Rouge Park that is not close to a stream and that has adequate room for the business and:

* on site runoff control and treatment;

* attractive perimeter fencing, berms and vegetation to avoid visual impacts and reduce noise;

* a safe parking area, off the road, and away from a dangerous level railway crossing.

I hope The Mirror will look more closely at the Standard Auto issue before you exclaim again, "What's the problem."

Jim Robb