Colonsay, SK– The Progressive Conservative Party of Saskatchewan is demanding a public look into he inner doings of the Saskatchewan Tire recycling program: more specifically how local company Shercom lost its ability in the eyes of the provincial government to continue its processing and why the Tire Stewardship of Saskatchewan (TSS) has been violating its own regulations and mandate.
“Our Sask. Party government is literally picking winners and losers at this point,” said Progressive Conservative Party of Saskatchewan leader Rose Buscholl. “It’s disgusting how they essentially put a Saskatchewan made business out of business by catering the interests of a foreign company who can’t keep up with recycling tires in the province.”
For years, Shercom was contracted to deal with all the tire processing in Saskatchewan. The company didn’t bid on the new contract, arguing the process was rigged against it. Sure enough, California-headquartered company Crumb Rubber Manufacturers took over tire recycling after winning the recycling contract for southern Saskatchewan.
The Saskatoon Chamber of Commerce recently sent a letter to Saskatchewan Environment Minister Christine Tell, asking for the recycling levy charged on new tires to be cut in half until all scrap processing is done within the province. It argued TSS has been operating outside its own regulations and legislated mandate by shipping tires outside the province for processing at the expense of Saskatoon jobs and livelihoods.
“It is ridiculous that folks should be paying a surcharge on a service for which we receive no benefit.” said Buscholl. “But it seems to be how this Moe government roles: milking its people out of more and more of their hard-earned money and providing fewer opportunities and services.”
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