It sure looks like the cards are stacked against residents trying to fight any of the proposed new natural gas-fired power plants being proposed for Mississauga and the GTA.
The Ontario government’s “self-directed” environmental review process allows proponents of the plants to essentially set the parameters for those reviews. The onus is on citizens or councils to ask for special dispensation to get a “bump-up” to a more fulsome review.
Tony Jones of the coalition of ratepayers fighting the Loreland Ave. project told me Monday that, “Tt’s basically: let’s put the fox in charge of deciding who goes in and out of the hen house. I find it very strange and not at all in keeping with democratic principles,” he said.
Not original, but dead on.
Of course, the Liberals screamed blue murder when the Harris Tories watered down the environmental process in 2001.
But, now that they’re stuck with the task of finding new generation to replace the coal-fired plants that they’re thankfully taking out of service, the rules don’t look so bad after all to the Liberals.
The “third-party” selection process for the Request for Proposals for the plants leaves MPPs totally on the sidelines. They’re not supposed to get involved because they might compromise the selection process.
The result is Mississauga East MPP Peter Fonseca supposedly not knowing about the Loreland plant until it was announced.
So, the people we’ve elected to represent us don’t have a clue about a critical project in their riding until it’s announced. Then the public is protected only by the merest veneer of an environmental review screening.
How incredibly handy.
Comments (5)
Having a power plant of any sort in Mississauga may suck but look on the bright side, did you know that until 5 years ago their was a small nuclear reactor (used for research) at U of T in downtown TO that could produce enriched uranium?
they called it SLOWPOKE
http://www.news.utoronto.ca/bin1/000724e.asp
Although the profs and grad students loved having it at their disposal the admin shut it down fearing that it would be a target for terrorists.
So what was that about natural gas again?
:)
oj
Posted by OJ | September 24, 2005 8:21 PM
Posted on September 24, 2005 20:21
Must be the weather I goofed on two Provincial Bills.
Bill 123 is the one which "requires that meetings of provincial and municipal boards, commissions and public bodies be open to the public" a private members bill by Ms. Carolyn Di Cocco MPP from Sarnia Lambton.
The Hearings are scheduled for 29th September and Region of Peel is on as well as Ontario Weekly newspapers.. one has to navigate the www.ontla.on.ca website.Look for public notices in newspapers , sure the government wants every government body to make public all of their meetings etc and they should practise what they preach... n'est ce pas??
On the Power Plant item it was Bill 100
sorry about the goof.Can previous post be deleted and substituted?
What say John we should stick to gardening a lot easier... good exercise the end result in most cases is the finished product or in this case beautiful plants!
Na razie ( that's Polish, means "for now" IAG
Posted by Irene Gabon | September 22, 2005 11:41 PM
Posted on September 22, 2005 23:41
It is Bill 106, Transparency in Public Matters Act, 2003 and is going to be revived and go to public hearings this fall. IAGabon
Posted by Irene Gabon | September 22, 2005 12:40 PM
Posted on September 22, 2005 12:40
Re Power Plant
Things may change if new Provincial Bill is passed re more openness re meetings etc Think its Bill 167 but will check
Posted by Irene Gabon | September 22, 2005 9:05 AM
Posted on September 22, 2005 09:05
I'm no fan of politicians, generally speaking, but sometimes they just can't win. Everybody living in the Loreland community recognizes the need to build plants to generate electricity...but, of course, they would feel better about it if it was built in someone else's neighbourhood. A long-time theme in Mississauga on many issues, when you think about it.
Posted by GDT | September 21, 2005 10:52 AM
Posted on September 21, 2005 10:52