Our Letter to the Premier About the Power Plant in Oakville
Tuesday, September 15, 2009
Dear Premier of Ontario and Minister of Energy and Infrastructure,
RE: Power Plant in Oakville/Clarkson
This will confirm that the Board of Directors of the Oakville Community Centre for Peace, Ecology and Human Rights (OCCPEHR) at its meeting held on Tuesday, September 8, 2009 stated its opposition to the proposed new natural gas electrical power plant to be built and operated in either Oakville or in the Clarkson neighbourhood of Mississauga.
The Board noted that this proposed new plant is opposed by many citizens, rate payer associations, politicians, and other community groups because it will have a major negative impact on our health. Studies show that our community’s air shed is very poor now. This plant will increase emissions of pollution-causing matter and will discharge a huge amount of climate-changing greenhouse gases.
We are very disappointed that the provincial government is determined to situate such a power plant so close to where so many people live, learn and work.
Our experience locally has been that people want to do more and more for the environment as they learn more and more about how its deterioration impacts negatively on their family’s health.
For examples, our annual Earth Week Clean Up involved more than 2,000 Oakville citizens at 34 nature sites last April while another 3,000 students participated at eleven schools and at our annual regional environmental fair, the Halton Eco Festival, our organization has successfully promoted the theme of making connections between our health and protection of the natural environment. Since 2008, our theme has promoted the need for sustainable living. There were about 2,500 people in attendance at the 2009 Halton Eco Festival.
More must be done at all levels of society to conserve energy and promote the use of renewable energies. Our communities could quickly become sustainable if this goal was promoted at all levels of society.
The proposed new power plant will not contribute to this goal of sustainability and so the OCCPEHR Board is opposed to it.
Sincerely,
Stephen Dankowich, executive director,
Oakville Community Centre for Peace, Ecology and Human Rights (OCCPEHR)