Friday, May 16, 2008

Haldimand "Here is Another Unheard Voice"

In April I wrote a blog about the Nuclear issue . The main players at this time seem to be Norfolk, although our Council in Haldimand seems to be silently backing them, as they both shared in the $5,000.00 cost for a report that was done last fall. I won’t go into all the details that I posted at that time but it is full of information that is a must read if you are concerned in where this issue is going. Here is the link if you haven’t had time to read it; http://haldimandsunheardvoice.blogspot.com/2008/04/haldimand-haldimandnorfolk-are-we-going.html

On May 5th, 2008 Janet Fraser, a resident of Cayuga submitted a written request to the County Clerk, to make a deputation to Haldimand Council regarding the Nuclear Issue and the need for more public education and input. Janet had also e-mailed Councillor Sloat and Mayor Trainer but never received an answer or even an acknowledgement. Here was Janet’s answer from the County Clerk’s Office;

Ms. Fraser, I have received your letter and intended to respond in writing. Please note that Council is not receiving delegations with respect to nuclear power options at this time.

No doubt Grand Erie Energy Quest are aware that the CNSC has a comprehensive regulatory process in place for the construction of new nuclear reactors. Public input is a required part of every step in the regulatory process. Under Federal legislation EA’s are required for nuclear projects in Canada. For new build the process including public consultation takes up to 3 years to complete. EA’s are used as a planning tool before a decision to proceed with the regulatory process has been made. Under this regulatory process the public will be given ample opportunity to speak to the issue.

I advised Janet to put in a second request to appear before Council as I believe that she has every right as a tax paying resident of Haldimand to have her “Voice Heard”.

Janet put in a second request and this was the response from the County Clerk’s Office on May 12th, 2008;

Good Afternoon: Please note that although not all members of Council have responded as yet, there is a majority position that such a delegation is premature. I trust this answers your request of reconsideration.

I am a strong believer in the right to be heard, and our right to “Voice” our concerns to our “Elected Officials” in an Official manner. When this issue came to my attention, there were a few residents from Cayuga that were quite upset that Janet was denied her right to “Speak to Council” about her concerns. A few comments were made that they had never heard of anyone being denied their right to speak. Well I just wonder how many other “Residents” have been turned down because Council feels that they are being “Premature”, or simply do not want the concern to be on “Record”.

We must remember the Haldimand County Hydro issue, this was behind closed doors for six months before the public was made aware of the potential sale. When Council decided to make the sale public it was almost too late to fight it. But we fought hard and we won! I am really not sure where this issue is going, but I do know one thing for sure Janet has the right to “Voice” her concerns “Publicly” and be on “Record”.

I called Mayor Trainer this week to ask her why Janet was turned down. Mayor Trainer’s first response was that Janet’s request was “Premature” and there will be lots of time for “Public Input”. When I asked Mayor Trainer if Council supports a Nuclear Plant for Nanticoke her reply was that they have only agreed to an Environmental Assessment, nothing more. At this point in our conversation I said to Mayor Trainer that is not the way the public sees it and that Janet should be allowed to speak to Council regarding her concerns.

Our conversation then turned to Norfolk Council, I mentioned that Norfolk had already had three “Public Meetings” and a delegation appeared before Norfolk Council last month. Haldimand County has had no “Public Meetings”, will not allow anyone to speak on this issue and in fact at the Norfolk Council meeting they advised that delegation to speak to Haldimand Council as they were informed that the ultimate decision would be made by Haldimand County.

Mayor Trainer also stated that her Council was upset at how aggressive Norfolk Council has been on this issue.

If in fact this is true then let Janet speak to Council. My advice to Janet would be to show up prepared at a Council in Committee meeting, ask Mayor Trainer to request Council to allow her to speak and take a “Recorded Vote” so if Council turns her down it will be on the record!

I know that if Janet takes this course of action Mayor Trainer will ask her Council to allow her to speak. Why do I know this? Well I have posted below a news article from 2003 that will explain why.

April 2, 2003

Trainer officially enters mayoral race

Karen Best
Special To The Chronicle

CAYUGA - Marie Trainer, attempting to reverse the close electoral decision of three years ago, has officially entered the race for mayor.

Trainer became the first candidate for Haldimand County's top elected position when she filed her papers on Monday at the county municipal offices in Cayuga.

Trainer told The Chronicle that numerous requests from Haldimand residents combined with her love of the mayoral job were key factors which persuaded her to run. In keeping with her attempts in the 2000 election be perceived as "The People's Mayor," Trainer spoke about people issues in an interview prior to filing her papers. "There isn't one day that goes by that I haven't been asked to run again," she said.

In 2000, she lost her bid to be Haldimand County's first mayor to Lorraine Bergstrand. The result was a close one, with Bergstrand winning by a margin of just under 600 votes of the 16,000 ballots cast.

Based on her observations and feedback, Trainer feels the attitudes of some councillors towards the public needs revision. People feel they are not being given the opportunity to speak with some reporting they are abruptly cut off, she said. Trainer believes council is not listening to the taxpayers.

Trainer felt this was one of the reasons behind public anger over Haldimand's decision regarding the Grandview Lodge redevelopment. "It seems like the people haven't been heard," she said.

When asked how she would address this as head of council, Trainer said she always talks to people as equals. "It just seems it's a dictatorship," she said of the current council.

In her opinion, too much council business is kept from the people. "There is an awful lot of P and C (private and confidential business)," Trainer said. "I would have a more open council and not so much P and C and I would let the public speak when they wanted to."

Trainer referred to last year's bitter six-week municipal CUPE strike. She recalled contract settlements that were completed amicably in the former Town of Haldimand.

"To me it wasn't necessary," Trainer said. In her opinion, county union employees were treated badly in negotiations and some settlement details. She referred to an oversight (she described it as "backhanded") that almost omitted employee benefits from the final settlement.

Unlike former Haldimand policies where retiring staff were given benefits until they received a pension, the CUPE contract does not grant benefits unless an employee leaves after a long period of service, Trainer said. In contrast to benefits for a five year contracted administrator, this is not okay, she said. She could not understand how old Town of Haldimand councillors could have supported this.

Trainer also relayed concerns about union and non-union raises. Union wages were increased 2.5 per cent but non-union wages went up a little more, she said, referring to information provided to her by union members. This was on top of increased salaries set for new county positions in the transition period, she said.

However the biggest blow was a summertime decision to increase council remuneration, said Trainer, who believes this issue should be re-examined by the new council. Remuneration is posed to increase to $30,000 for councillors, up $5,000, and to $60,000, up $10,000, for mayor. She condemned the timing of the council pay review during contract negotiations.

Trainer also had some comments about roads. She is questioning the need to rename streets and roads like Regional Road 20. The regional designation tells truckers the road can withstand more weight than a municipal road, she said. People will have to change stationary when the county moves ahead with name or numbering changes, she said.

There are duplicate addresses on Regional Road 20 and a county addressing project will eliminate those and others. The project will set up unique address for every county property which is crucial for the quickest emergency response.

This spring Trainer has received numerous comments about muddy road conditions, poor quality stone for gravel roads and the loss of stone into ditches. When told council heard the same complaints and blamed the former Town of Haldimand's penny pinching budgets, she defended those caps. Yes there were zero increases but not less dollars, she said. The additional tax base from new residents and businesses was used to finance additional budget items, she said. Trainer also emphasized that the former town reviewed its roads and set a priority for maintenance.

Trainer is aware of concerns over intensive livestock operations and thinks an agricultural advisory committee would have been helpful in sorting out this issue and offering the other side of the story. The majority of farmers are very careful about the environment, she said. "I would have been a little more comfortable myself having that (an agricultural advisory committee)," she said.

The new council will have no choice but to figure out how to pay for what was done in the county council's first term, said Trainer. "There is a lot of money being spent," she added.

Councillors will be looking at where the county actually stands and what it needs to move forward, Trainer predicted. She also wondered what happened with former Town of Haldimand reserves, which totaled $6 million.

Now that Trainer has filed nomination papers she can solicit and accept campaign donations. She anticipated no problem in securing the backing she will need to conduct a campaign. Her next move will be amassing volunteers and placing them where they can do things for the campaign. Nominations close on September 26 and election day is November 11.

Trainer is counting on the experience she gained in a15 year career in municipal politics. In 1985, she won the Hagersville ward seat and three years later voters sent her to regional council. In 1991, she began a nine year stint as the former Town of Haldimand mayor. "I'm not ready to retire fully yet," she said.

In her three year leave, which she described as a sabbatical, Trainer has assisted in the family beef operation as well as serving a various boards. She holds a Cayuga Chamber of Commerce membership and sits on management boards at Cottonwood Mansion and Ruthven Park. She is also a member of the Haldimand-Norfolk-Brant Trillium Foundation review board. The body accepts grant applications and forwards recommendation to Toronto.

26 comments:

  1. Haldimand is in bed with Norfolk on this Nuclear Plant there is no doubt about that one. I read your first blog on this and if in fact this Council did not want a Nuclear plant here why would they have paid for a report out of our hard earned tax dollars? The following comment from Mayor Trainer in 2003 says it all dosen't it?

    "Trainer believes council is not listening to the taxpayers".

    Yet this Mayor now states to you Donna that this request is "Premature", what has changed this Mayor? She doesn't even want to hear what the residents have to say. What is the harm in that?

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  2. Donna you of all people should know that Janet is far from the first person that has been denied the right to speak before Council.

    Let's take a look at the Mayors' e-mail issue back in I believe August of last year. Three days residents went to council (you were there) and three residents were denied their right to speak on this issue. Council received a letter from a resident on I believe the first day, Council received it, and then changed their minds so that the letter would not be part of the official record.

    This Council will not hear from any resident if it is something that Council is not in agreement with, this will not change until we vote them all out in 2010.

    So I agree Donna, Janet should prepare, go to Council and be on record of being denied her right to speak. This way at least the Media will pick up on it.

    Good Luck Janet!

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  3. This is wrong! Council should allow Janet to speak! Please post when and if Janet is going to appear before Council and we will be there to support her!

    Bev, Caledonia

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  4. Thanks for your comments.

    I will let you know if Janet decides to try and speak to Council. When I spoke with Marie I reminded her that the public will only assume what is going on if this Council denies people the right to speak and is silent about an issue that is of grave concern.

    My understanding of appearing as a delegation is that your request be in writing, 5 days prior to the Council in Committee meeting and has to be "new information". As this issue has already been addressed by Council ie "money being spent on a report" and "letters" being sent endorsing an EA, it is only right that if a resident has a concern that they be allowed to speak!

    It is that simple. If Council has nothing to hide, put it on record!

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  5. Eyes should be watching council's reaction to Janet's request.

    Are there alternative power resources to nuclear power?

    Isn't nuclear power an older technology?

    Why did nuclear power drop out of favour?

    Hasn't nuclear power caused a multitude of financial burdens on the taxpayer already?

    I believe we are paying a great percent of the nuclear dept. each month on our electricity bill. I wonder what the percent on our taxes go to this "Great White Elephant"?

    Is there a definite solution to nuclear waste yet?

    Some say this waste will take 10's of thousands of years to become of no harm to man or beast. Hasn't civilization been around for 3 or 4 thousand years? Either the science is sound or not! If the science is not sound, it seems those who portray themselves as responsible decision-makers are making serious decisions on the un-proven science of storing nuclear waste. Perhaps their decisions are based on faith?

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  6. It seems that part of the problem here is getting past the County Clerk. Since when is the procedure for council business done by making phone calls to see if council wants to hear what a resident has to say?

    It would be interesting to ask the County Clerk to provide the names of the Council Members that were called and how each Council Member voted over the phone voted over the phone.

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  7. Thanks for posting this Donna. Isn't amazing what we don't hear about. This is absurd that once again a resident is shut out.

    I must say that it seems from your conversation with the Mayor that maybe our council is not supporting Nuclear Power in Nanticoke. Regardless this Council needs to inform the residents whether they are behind Norfolk or not.

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  8. I found the following article on the Grand Erie Energy Quest website. It seems that Mayor Trainer was not really telling me the whole truth! Please visit this site the link is under Interesting Sites.

    Nanticoke promoted as nuclear power site

    Speak Out: Reactor in Nanticoke Minister has not ruled location out as possible site for second complex

    thestar.com: Tyler Hamilton - Mar 19, 2008

    http://www.thestar.com/Business/article/347597

    "Communities surrounding the massive Nanticoke coal-fired power station, which is set to shut down in 2014, are strongly urging the provincial government to consider the area for a new nuclear power plant".

    "Both Norfolk and Haldimand counties sent letters last month to Premier Dalton McGuinty asking for the go-ahead to start an environmental assessment that would be filed, along with a formal site application, by nuclear operator Bruce Power, according to Haldimand Mayor Marie Trainer".

    "Bruce realizes the benefits of coming here," said Trainer who, according to Haldimand's letter, directly raised the issue with Energy Minister Gerry Phillips on Jan. 27. "We're saying to the province, let them go forward."

    Duncan Hawthorne, chief executive of Bruce Power, was unavailable for comment. The province has yet to respond to either county's request.

    But Phillips reiterated to the Toronto Star last week that the next nuclear plant to be built in Ontario will be in a community where nuclear generation already exists. That limits locations to Clarington, the home of Darlington Nuclear Generating Station, and Tiverton, the home of the Bruce Nuclear Generating Station.

    "I'm pretty single-mindedly focused on that one plant," said Phillips, at the same time not ruling out Nanticoke as a possible site for a second plant, if needed. He said environmental assessments started for the Darlington and Bruce sites were filed a year ago. "We're not going to lose a year for an environmental assessment somewhere else."

    Haldimand is still pushing for consideration. Trainer said Bruce Power, which already supplies 20 per cent of Ontario's electricity out of its existing nuclear plant, has promised to build schools that would re-train the local workforce and erect wind turbines that would complement the power coming out of the plant.

    She said Bruce Power is currently in negotiations with U.S. Steel, which acquired Stelco Inc. last August, to secure access to Stelco-owned land neighbouring the existing Nanticoke coal plant. "I think they'd like to start this as soon as possible," Trainer added.

    Industry experts say Nanticoke is an ideal location for a nuclear plant, arguing that once the Nanticoke coal plant is closed there will be ample capacity on transmission lines, unlike the overcrowded transmission around Bruce Power's current site, where an "Orange Zone" prohibits the development of new renewable energy projects.

    Phillips recognized those restraints. "We do not yet have a solution to some of the transmission issues around Bruce."

    Informed sources say Bruce Power may be hedging its bets, quietly acknowledging that Darlington has an edge for the first build over the transmission-constrained Bruce site and that Nanticoke may be a better bet in round two. Hawthorne has recently been promoting the site, telling a gathering last week in Simcoe that, "If there's a shot for Nanticoke, it's going to happen in 2008."

    Another benefit of Nanticoke is that it's on Lake Erie, making for easier delivery of construction equipment and access to cooling water required for large thermal plants. Locating a nuclear plant in Nanticoke could also bring stability to the power grid, which will be knocked out of balance once the coal plant there is closed. The Ontario Power Authority is currently grappling with how to fill that hole in generation.

    But Trainer said her interest is in the "billions of dollars put into the workforce."

    Shutting down the coal plant will lead directly to the loss of 600 jobs, not including the associated ripple effects on the local economy. That's on top of problems in the "tobacco belt," where a dramatic decline in tobacco farming has killed thousands of jobs over the past two decades.

    An economic study prepared last fall by Harry Kitchen, a professor of economics at Trent University, concluded that a new nuclear plant in Nanticoke would create roughly 1,000 full-time jobs over the next decade and inject as much as $660 million into the local economy annually. That equates to a 16 per cent increase in economic activity in the communities of Haldimand and Norfolk.

    The government appears, at least, to be preparing for the possibility of a second new nuclear plant.

    A request for proposal that went out earlier this month to four qualified suppliers - Atomic Energy of Canada, GE-Hitachi Nuclear, Areva NP and Westinghouse Electric - outlined the need for a nuclear plant to provide between 2,000 megawatts to 3,500 megawatts of generation capacity.

    But the document also asks bidders to include an "option" for the government to build one or two additional reactors, a move that Phillips called "good planning."

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  9. Here is an excellent letter by Janet Fraser;

    Response to March 26/08 Port Dover Maple Leaf: Mayors of Norfolk and Haldimand write Premier urging nuclear plant for Nanticoke

    Port Dover Maple Leaf: Janet Fraser (Grand Erie Energy Quest) April 2, 2008

    As a resident of Haldimand I would like to comment on this recent article.

    One very important point that is the fact that there has been no public consultation by the councils of Haldimand and Norfolk around this issue. The two Mayors and Councils have acted alone, in writing their letters to the Premier asking that our communities be considered to host a nuclear power facility. Bruce Nuclear has courted Haldimand and Norfolk councils over the past months_ with presentations, private meetings, and a tour of the Bruce Power Plant. The local councils are understandably excited about the possibility of high paying jobs in the area, but at what cost? This is not a decision, which can be made lightly. The very small councils of Haldimand and Norfolk represent thousands of citizens in a very large and very rural geographic area, who have been entirely left out of the decision making process.

    Representatives from Bruce Nuclear have stated that they will only build a power plant in a willing host community. Well, Haldimand /Norfolk citizens are not willing to host a nuclear power plant without educating themselves about the many controversial issues surrounding nuclear power_ including the unresolved issue of nuclear waste, risks related to release of tritium into Lake Erie, health impacts of radioactivity into air and soil in an agricultural area, risks of accidents or terrorist attack, insurance issues, property values, to name a few.

    A citizens' group called "Grand Erie Energy Quest" has formed and has created a website www.energyquest4nanticoke.ca to provide a forum for citizens of Haldimand and Norfolk and the surrounding areas to educate themselves about energy issues, discuss these on the blog, and read many letters, reports and explore related websites. Communities must be well informed before a decision to host a nuclear facility can be made.

    Although there were a few public meetings last spring about energy issues, these were initiated by interested citizens as well as our MPP Toby Barrett. There has been no request for public input from our councils. Following the Energy Symposium sponsored by Toby Barrett last June, the symposium survey results indicated that only 2.3% of respondents favoured pursuing the construction of a nuclear plant.

    There needs to be more public meetings, workshops, and symposiums on all the alternatives for Nanticoke, including a truly green alternative energy plan.

    The future of this beautiful area of Canada will be impacted for thousands of years by this decision. It is the citizens who must decide what kind of future we want for our children

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  10. Its still the old boys club in haldimand county ,the staff directs the brainless council behind close doors,council puts some bla bla on it, then its cramed down our throat legal or not.When are we going to vote in a council with a spine that can stand up to county staff??

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  11. Well it seems after reading this entire blog and comments that Mayor Trainer and her council are not telling us the truth. This should not surprise us at all. This council is the worse council that I have ever witnessed! They lie to the public, they do 80 percent of county business illegally behind closed doors. Yet they get away with every bit of it!

    I hope that you sent this blog to Janet Fraser Donna, I am really looking forward to hearing her point of view.

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  12. The fact is that this council will not hear anyone on Nuclear in fear that they will get caught in a lie. So what I don't understand is why do you people keep trying.

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  13. The reason we keep trying is because we care deeply about this community and the environment and we believe in the right to have a voice. We have spent the past year and a half educating ourselves about the nuclear issue and have information which we would like to publicly share. Albert Einstein once said : "Those who have the privilege to know also have a duty to warn". None of us are nuclear scientists but all of us are fast and committed learners and have read a multitude of reports and letters from those who are very educated about the nuclear power issue . We have read enough information to know that this could be the greatest, and most long term mistake that any community can make. This decision, the impact of which will be forever, cannot be made by a few local politicians, whose time in office is so short.

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  14. Thank you everyone for your comments.

    Janet thank you for you response. I feel the same way you do that we have the "right" to "voice" our opinions.

    Please let us know what your next step is and we will be there to support you!

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  15. I was just on the energy quest website and what a site that is!

    Janet have you thought of running for council in 2010?

    Keep pressuring this council to be heard!

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  16. Here is an example of the information that you will find on the Grand Erie Energy Quest website. Please visit this site on the interesting links section.


    Coal plants ordered to reduce emissions; Greenhouse gas levels must drop by 2011

    The Toronto Star

    Saturday, May 17, 2008

    Page: A02

    Section: News

    Byline: Rob Ferguson

    Source: Toronto Star



    The Ontario government, which has twice broken promises to close highly polluting coal-fired power plants, has ordered them to cut harmful greenhouse-gas emissions.


    A directive issued yesterday instructs Crown-owned utility Ontario Power Generation to reduce coal emission levels to two-thirds below 2003 levels by 2011.


    "We have to figure out how to use our coal plants less," said OPG spokesperson Ted Gruetzner, noting other sources of power such as natural gas, hydroelectric and nuclear will have to shoulder more of the load.

    The utility has until November to file a plan for achieving the goal, which requires reductions to begin next year. New plants such as the natural gas- fired Portlands facility on Toronto's waterfront will help, said Gruetzner.


    After promising to close the coal plants by 2007 and then in 2009, Premier Dalton McGuinty's government is now aiming for a 2014 closure.


    The new directive makes official McGuinty's election promise last fall to reduce the pollutants spewing from coal plants by another 33 per cent, said Jack Gibbons of the Ontario Clean Air Alliance.

    While he called the planned cut in emissions "a fantastic step forward," Gibbons warned Ontarians won't notice much of a difference in overall air quality.

    "There's going to be less pollution but pollution is still increasing from other sources, like cars," he said. "We'll still have smog days."


    Energy Minister Gerry Phillips said emissions of greenhouse gases - which cause global warming - from the coal plants must be 11.5 megatonnes in 2011, down from 34.5 megatonnes in 2003.

    That will be the equivalent of taking up to 700,000 cars off the road, said Gibbons.

    None of OPG's coal plants, such as the giant Nanticoke generating station on the north shore of Lake Erie, or the Lambton plant near Sarnia, will close as emissions are lowered, said Gruetzner.

    "We don't have plans to shut coal plants or do layoffs."

    The government decided to keep coal plants open until 2014 in case the province needs them to meet electricity needs.

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  17. From what we already know...

    Lampton Station already has wet scrubbers, which have reduced pollutants greatly.

    For health issues specifically, Nanticoke needs the same for its stacks now!

    McGinty has said no to this!

    We must sequester the carbon both at Nanticoke and Lampton. (www.energyquest4nanticoke.ca/sequest.pdf)

    Then we can produce coal-power for the next 400 years with this now known, and clean-coal-technology.

    Clean-coal-technology is a new technology. Nuclear technology is over 50 years old, with a well known amount of costly and dangerous baggage.

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  18. The following poster seems to know what they are talking about;

    "Then we can produce coal-power for the next 400 years with this now known, and clean-coal-technology. Clean-coal-technology is a new technology. Nuclear technology is over 50 years old, with a well known amount of costly and dangerous baggage".

    I have heard a bit about this technology. It does raise an important question; I am wondering if this is classified as "new technology", why is the McGuinty government ignoring it?

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  19. Why is McGuinty ignoring clean-coal-technology?

    That is a good question!

    There are truly safe alternatives to nuclear power that will provide the flex power needed in the Ontario grid.

    The answer to your question lies in money and politics. Bruce Power is offering its private money that is protected by the Canadian taxpayer who is ultimately responsible for all nuclear facilities in Canada.

    With the opportunity we have here to develop new technologies, one has to wonder why no one in local, federal, or provincial political power in Haldimand/Norfolk has even mentioned or explored any alternatives to nuclear power???

    Understanding money is easy, trying to understand politics is convoluted and frustrating, especially when politicians here seem to be following a path of sort without any consideration for their constituents. The actions taken by our politicians in power here are nothing but irresponsible toward their electorate and the air and soil that provides life for this region.

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  20. Thanks for your comment.

    Toby Barrett has talked about the other alternatives to Nuclear. In fact when I was working with Toby on his campaign last year he spoke of several options.

    If you visit the Energy Quest website there are many articles by Toby Barrett on this site.

    Your are correct in saying that the local council here in Haldimand is being irresponsible to their electorate.

    The prove is in the fact that this council will not allow "Janet Fraser" the right to voice her concerns. It is just that simple!

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  21. You are quite correct Donna, it is important that you point this out!

    Our MPP Toby Barrett has been the political advocate for clean-coal-technology for Nanticoke. If only Toby and his party had power.

    Perhaps the only way he could put forward his common sense toward the energy quest for Nanticoke is for the constituents of his 61% percent election landslide to promote and support their 81% percent poll in favour of clean-coal-technologies over nuclear power at Nanticoke.

    The politicians in power keep talking about all the jobs nuclear power would provide. A side-bar to that is why so many employees for one nuclear plant? Reason. To keep employee radiation exposure down.

    If we were to explore clean-coal-technologies further we should discover that there would be an equal number of employees to this industry, as is projected by our politicians regarding nuclear power.

    Clean-coal-technology at the very root of power-plant-generation provides 200 employees per 1,200 MW. To equal the power generated at Nanticoke that would employ at least 600 employees (the same number as employed now).

    Add employees for the manufacturing of coal-gas to market, manufacturing, marketing and shipping by-products of captured pollutants into agriculture and industry at a profit.

    The laying and maintaining of a pipeline network and compressor stations into ancient faultline-saline-aquifers for carbon sequestration. Haldimand and Norfolk already harbours this expertise because of its 100 year experience natural gas industry. If there is a need to expand the coal-docks at Nanticoke for an increase in products coming in and out, then we can once again add to this employee count.

    Perhaps if we did a thorough examination of clean-coal-technologies we may find that is just might surpass the political projections of the number of employees that might come with nuclear power.

    We also should not dismiss the fact that with clean-coal-technologies there comes the opportunity for safely creating that rare thing in the energy business... PROFIT.

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  22. Janet...your concerns are worthy.You have a veiw point and information that you feel needs to be presented to Haldimand County council. You should be encouraged by the public elect,and its staff.The problem you are haveing is that the clerks department is trying to edit your right to speak to your public elect.Our county staff have a long history of directing our council and this is one of their ways of doing so, by editing who ,when and what one might say.It is non of the clerks department business as to what you want to speak your public elect about.Their job is to help you speak,to council, as they are paid by, us and work for us, and are to be directed by Haldimand County residents throught our elected council.We may make our view piont known and,our view may not be granted ,but should be valued by council before any direction of staff is given!Staff hates this ,they must get over this as thats their job!

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  23. Donna it looks like council has come out from behind closed doors and now they are doing their business by telephone vote. Is this legal? The clerk stated to Janet that so far the majority says no, so that means that the clerk contacted at least 4 members of council and they said no.

    What bullshit is this. Janet keep pushing until you are heard.

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  24. Thanks for your comments and the encouraging words for Janet. I am sure that she appreciates the support.

    I will say that this is highly unusual that the clerk seems to be calling council members to ask them to "vote" from a phone call on whether a resident can speak to council. Or maybe I am wrong, maybe this is what they have always done.

    All I know is that council has been involved with this issue for sometime know. Two letters from council have been sent in support of an EA, and money has been spent on a report. The cost of this report was shared by Norfolk County.

    If council is now voting by phone, why bother having council meetings.

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  25. I received an email from Janet Fraser and she has had a conversation with Mayor Trainer on the issue of not being allowed to speak to council. Mayor Trainer has assured Janet that she will speak to council about this and let Janet know when she can appear as a delegation.

    We will wait and see what happens. "Kudos" to Janet! All she wants is to have her voice "heard"!

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    www.onlineuniversalwork.com

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