Toronto $95-million "biosolids" scandal (Canadian trash sent to Michigan)

When they’re out of public view dealing with controversial items in camera, the high hand displayed by some Toronto City councillors is disturbing.

Humiliated by revelations from the expensive ongoing public inquiry probing the MFP computer scandal and its recent testimony about an "intimate" relationship between former Toronto City Treasurer Wanda Liczyk, and a lover, who shared with a colleague some $3.8 million in untendered contracts, city council is going a long way to keep its $95-million biosolids scandal under wraps.

"Biosolids" is the more palatable name given by bureaucrats to human excrement, which is used to fertilize farmers’ fields.

Thus far, Toronto Council has successfully kept the biosolids boondoggle off the taxpayers’ radar screen, while it deals in camera with Harbour Remediation & Transfer (HR&T), the original blue-ribbon company contracted by pilot project to handle Metro Toronto biosolids. Charging that the municipality reneged and broke signed contracts, HR&T has been pursuing the city through litigation.

Many of the original pre-amalgamation Metro councillors responsible for the biosolids scandal, represent Toronto council to the present day. . . . .

I think the name of the restaurant you are searching for is Chi-Chi's. This unfortunate event occurred twice at the same restaurant. The mystery veggie was green onions.

This is one of the many reasons I opposed the passage of NAFTA especially the environmental side agreements which no member in congress was permitted to read. Any food imported into the U.S.A. is not required to meet the FDA's regulations for products consumed by Americans. Clinton spent our tax dollars very well in buying votes for NAFTA's passage.

It is very common for Mexico to grow their veggies with untreated human wastes. The same holds true for many other countries. Italy is another one. People might wonder how gigantic produce is able to be grown overseas-- the magic secret is fertilization of crops with untreated human waste. This is why tourists end up coming down with intestinal problems when in Europe.

Several years ago it was discovered that a well known supermarket chain in the U.S.A. -- Giant Foods, Inc. were purchasing grapes from Mexico treated with cyanide. I purchased the grapes myself. I always prewash my fruits and veggies before consuming them. They tasted fine until about a half hour later my stomach felt like it was going to explode. I couldn't figure out what was going on. The next day I went to the supermarket with the uneaten grapes and complained. I was told there was nothing wrong with the grapes. I thought it pretty strange why these grapes looked like they were somewhat frosted which in my opinion attracts consumers quickly. I requested a refund and left the store.

About 2 weeks later while watching the evening news lo and behold what do my ears hear-- seems Mexico was exporting grapes treated with cyanide to the U.S.A. and thousands of people had come down with serious intestinal discomforts, some people even required hospitalization. Why did it take 2 weeks for this to be announced on the national news? Why after the national announcement on the evening news weren't the veggies and fruits treated with chemicals, etc. still being sold to the public by Giant Food? Why weren't the veggies and fruits treated with cyanide to give a fresh appearance didn't even have a sign posted stating they had been treated with cyanide immediately after the national announcement? Why is it the public is the last to know, like 2 to 4 weeks after the incident? Does the national board of health have a new research project at taxpayers expense both financially and health wise-- to create records of how many people become ill from a particular imported veggie or fruit treated with a particular chemical, etc. It sounds like the national board of health is in with the FDA to use Americans as their guinea pigs without Americans permission.

The solution to this problem-- all fruits or veggies grown outside the U.S.A. and imported must indicate where they are grown and what fertilizer of chemicals were applied to them. I never purchased another grape from Giant Food Inc. after my own personal experience.

I stopped by that store after the news story appeared on the evening news to bring the story to the attention of the manager. The manager had not heard about the news story. I told him he had 24 hours to remove the grapes or I would have them removed by the Board of Health. The next day the grapes were not removed but instead had a sign displayed stating that the grapes had been treated with cyanide.

There have been multitude of instances in which strawberries from Mexico caused hepatitis in Americans.

To me folks, NAFTA wasn't just about jobs, NAFTA was about American's health.

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