Scanned, recopied or Internet copy, if there are errors, please e-mail me with corrections:
Opening comments: More at the end.
Other related links to this story;
The Willis Family Fruit Farm (OFFMA) web-site on Ontario Rural Routes.
The Halton Herald web-site that deals with this and the comments posted about it (nice pictures - Audio - facts & figures).
The Transcanada - Halton Hills - web-site.
Sold out, again - October 4, 2006
The local News paper reports about the Transcanada 683 megawatt natural gas-fired power plant in the town of Halton Hills.
Milton fruit farmer fears power plant plan - Oct. 11, 2006
Rollie Willis has toiled for 20 years to build a thriving family farm, growing apples, raspberries, pumpkins and then along came the Transcanada 683 megawatt natural gas-fired power plant - with its polluting effects of such a huge plant not only damage his soil and crops but ruin the scenic rural atmosphere that attracts city people on weekend outings.
“If they took the money to allow these people to pollute, then shame on them” - Dec. 4, 2006
The Council meeting & quotes - so much better then reporting that goes on in Mississauga.
Town of Milton - Report - PD-013-07 WFM Trans Canada Draft Environmental Review Report to its Administration and Planning Standing Committee - Feb. 19-07
Town of Milton - Minutes for its Administration and Planning Standing Committee - Feb. 19-07
Milton Staff Reports - place to look for other up-dates & reports - like these;
PD-023-07 WFM Trans Canda Generating Station AFU Report.pdf - Mar. 19-07
PD-035-07 JW TransCanada Update.pdf - May 28-07
PD-062-07 WFM TransCanada EA Completion.pdf - Aug. 7-07 - Bump-up denied
Town wants MOE to 'bump up' power plant's environmental study - Mar. 2-07
The Halton Herald - Hornby - Dec. 4, 2006 - by editor
“If they took the money to allow these people to pollute, then shame on them”
Halton – Hornby - Milton
: Despite the overwhelming opposition from Milton politicians and its community groups, on November 16, 2006 - TransCanada Corporation announced that it was awarded a 20-year energy from energy generating contract by the Ontario Power Authority to build, own and operate a 683 megawatt natural gas-fired power generating plant in Milton's hamlet community of Hornby, situated in the municipality of Halton Hills.In terms of design, the local paper published a wonderful modest artist depiction (pictured above) of what the town’s folk should expect. The Halton Herald has taken that depiction and our report to a realistic level by doing some comparison research and illustrations for our report. By doing so, we now provide Hornby, Milton and Halton Hills residents with a not-so-rosy picture of what to actually expect. The above edited "artist rendered" depiction of the proposed generating facility includes a stack of 40 cars to properly put the required stacks in proper perspective.
In the Nov. 17. 2006 report of The Independent and Free Press, Mayor Bonnette reassured concerned community members by stating; “the company (TransCanada) has agreed to participate in the Town’s planning approval and construction regulating process”, suggesting perhaps that others have not. He dangled another carrot adding “the generating plant also means cost savings for Halton Hills Hydro”, sending a message that perhaps our hydro bureaucracy might pass any such savings on to consumers.
Bonnette also “stressed” in Lisa Tallyn's report that the government grant - financially-aided P.O.W.E.R. organization is a “local environmental watchdog group” claiming the group “supported the proposal”. Although we've never found any such endorsements, the existence of one would only confirm our community's concerns and suspicions that P.O.W.E.R. already sold-out, leaving many to question the management, funding and political motivations behind its own operation.
Opposition was fierce from Milton, which is perhaps indicative to why TransCanada dangled their $1.5 million dollar debt relief carrot in front of Halton Hills council rather than in Milton, where TransCanada CEO Hal Kvisle openly admitted, “was more convenient for a plant to be situated”. The $1.5 million political pay-off is to relieve council from its debt obligations with regards to the controversial - private land development deals made with property investors, developers and financial political campaign supporters of members of council who voted in favour of using taxpayers money to further develope private property in the 401 area.
Milton councillor Rick Day, who represents Milton constituents within the ten kilometer atmospheric toxic dump zone, was not so impressed with the political bribery taking place in Halton Hills, stating; “if they took money to allow these people to pollute, then shame on them,”.
Staff reporter Lisa Tallyn reported in The Independent and Free Press in her Nov. 17, 2006, front page report; “Day intends, however, to ask for a “bump up” of the environmental assessment process TransCanada must go through for the Halton Hills plant so “it’s site specific and much more thorough.”, adding; “Halton Hills has skipped all those safe guards,” said Day.
Day’s concerns are well formed. Pictured above is the 875 megawatt Goreway Generating Station that’s currently under construction in Brampton. The Goreway Generating Plant, located in one of Brampton’s industrial zones is a good measure of what to expect in Halton Hills.
The Goreway plant is designed with something just less in the neighbourood of a 25% (192 megawatt) greater output capacity than the proposed 683 megawatt Halton Hills plant. If there’s going to be 25% less output, can we expect a 25% reduction in emission equipment than that pictured above at the Goreway Station? By comparison, we can expect the smoke stack towers to be similar or at the very least 200 feet tall or possibly even higher considering only two stacks will be stressing the dispersment of noise and emissions over our rural agricultural areas, rather than the three being implemented in Brampton. But even when queried, TransCanada was very illusive in pinpointing or providing any details at their September 25, 2006 – “Special Council Meeting” to the size of the stacks. The only stack design indicator provided at that meeting was a vague design aspiration based on a compromising desire to dispense plant emissions over a two to ten kilometer area while minimizing the noise pollution.
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