Environment Hamilton (EH) was incorporated as a not-for-profit organization in 2001 with a central mandate to facilitate the ability of people in the Hamilton area to develop the knowledge and skills they need to protect and enhance the environment around them.
EH
emerged out
of the efforts of a small group of citizens from east
Hamilton who launched an investigation to see the
City of Hamilton's old Rennie Street Landfill properly
remediated.
Working
with the Sierra Legal Defense Fund and the Environmental
Bureau of Investigation, charges were laid against
the City of Hamilton for allowing toxic substances
such as PCBs and other contaminants to discharge from
the dump directly into Red Hill Creek. The city entered
a guilty plea to the charges and was fined over $480,000
under both provincial and federal environmental legislation.
The
sum of $150,000 came back to the citizens via a fine-sharing
provision in the federal Fisheries Act. Some of this
money is now being used for a variety of new community
initiatives. One of these initiatives involves a partnership
between Environment Hamilton and the Lake Ontario
Keeper.
Using
a 22-foot boat donated to the Keeper, Environment
Hamilton patrolled the waters of Hamilton Harbour
during the 2002 boating season, looking for sources
of water pollution and taking action against polluters
when necessary.
In
addition to our on-going efforts to monitor local
water quality, Environment Hamilton is also
working to develop resources and programs designed
to facilitate the ability of concerned Hamiltonians
to address environmental issues of concern whether
it be through:
-
environmental monitoring,
- making
use of environmental law and policy,
- or
making effective use of existing government channels
for commenting on projects and proposals with environmental
implications.
|
 Robert
F. Kennedy Jr., President of The Waterkeeper
Alliance, was in Hamilton on December 5, 2001
to help launch Environment Hamilton.
EH!
was borne out of the efforts of a group of
citizens from east Hamilton to see the City
of Hamilton's old Rennie Street landfill cleaned
up.
At
approximately 10 am Mr. Kennedy spoke to the
150 people who attended the founding breakfast
of the organization.
He
then participated in the official commissioning
of 'The Victor', the 22 foot cutter that Environment
Hamilton later used to patrol Hamilton
Harbour during the 2002 boating season.
EH!
directors Brian McHattie, Don McLean and Lynda
Lukasik pose below with Robert F. Kennedy
Jr. and Mark Mattson of the Lake Ontario Keepers
on 'The Victor'.
 Later
in the morning Mr Kennedy spoke to over 1000
secondary and elementary students assembled
at Hamilton Place.
Mr. Kennedy was also the guest speaker at
a luncheon at the Hamilton Convention Centre
where he was introduced by former Hamilton
mayor Robert M. Morrow.
The
December 5 edition of the Hamilton Spectator
includes an interview with Robert F. Kennedy
Jr. The December 6th edition of the paper
includes two articles on his visit to Hamilton.
The articles are available through the links
below.
|
