N.L. mill may burn tires for fuel

A paper company is considering burning old rubber tires as fuel at its mill in western Newfoundland an idea that was rejected five years ago when critics said burning tires will create toxic emissions.

Despite that, a spokesperson for Kruger confirmed it's once again looking at burning used tires that are being stockpiled by the province. For the mill it would be a cheap source of fuel.

If the proposal goes ahead, tires will be shredded and burned with wood bark to produce energy.

Proponents argueit would help the province get rid of more than two million used tires stored in the woods near Placentia.

For years, the province has been looking for an environmently-friendly way to get rid of them.

Provincial New Democratic Party Leader Lorraine Michael doesn't believe burning them is the answer.

"I'm disturbed that they should be considering this at all and I hope they're not going to announce a final decision that would not be acceptable to the public good," she said Thursday.

Provincial Liberal Party environment critic Roland Butler also has questions about the proposal.

"If this is a means to alleviate a problem somewhere else and help an industry in another part of the province well let's do it, but I think there's more to this. I think there arestill concerns," he said

Butler said a study two years ago in Nova Scotia showed that burning tires produces an unacceptable amount of toxic emissions.