DURHAM -- Durham Regional councillors are considering the business case for incineration at a joint finance and administration-works committee meeting this morning.

The meeting started with a series of delegations from those opposed to council approving the business case, which was released on Friday. Issues raise include health concerns and questions about whether the business case was too optimistic for incineration and too pessimistic for the alternative of landfill somewhere in Ontario.

“Please, please, do not accept this report,” said Barry Bracken, who criticized the numbers in the report.

Following the public comments, Durham staff and Deloitte financial analyst Remo Bucci presented the case to the 20 councillors in attendance.

Mr. Bucci said Durham would be a leader in the GTA if it chose the energy-from-waste option.

“It’s truly a local, long term solution,” he said.

Finance commissioner Jim Clapp said the Region took a conservative approach to preparing the business case and that the gas tax would be a good way to finance the facility.

“(We) have this golden opportunity to control our own destiny relative to the disposal of our garbage,” he said.