Hamilton Centre MPP Andrea Horwath blasted the McGuinty government’s environmental record today, Earth Day, for failing to disclose reports concerning toxic blaze at Biedermann Packaging last July.

In the Ontario Legislature, Horwath described how the government has stalled her repeated attempts to obtain detailed Ontario Fire Marshall reports concerning the Biedermann fire disaster. Horwath submitted her freedom of information request for the material February 22, and is still waiting four days past the legal deadline for the Ministry of Community Safety and Correctional Services to respond.

“Provided that an unnamed third party authorized its release, I was promised that material by April 18 – last Friday,” Horwath said during Question Period. “That legal deadline has come and gone and still no information. The McGuinty government continues to interfere with the community’s right to know. What dirty environmental secret is the minister trying to hide? Why not hold a public inquiry?” she asked environment minister John Gerretsen.

Horwath said public interest should be the government’s overriding concern.

“The City of Hamilton wants a public inquiry to get to the bottom of what happened at the Biedermann plant and what needs to change to ensure our Hamilton’s local environment will be safe and healthy.

“Residents of Hamilton want an answer to why the McGuinty government is withholding information about the Biedermann and also refuses to call a full public inquiry into this environmental disaster.”

New Democrats have long advocated legislation guaranteeing communities and their emergency personnel the right to know the types and amounts of polluting toxins and chemicals being stored in and near their neighbourhoods.